UnCharmable
by Whoopsydaisy
Summary: During the summer of 1996 a stranger wanders onto the Hogwarts campus. Severus Snape never expected that a spell gone wrong could affect his world so radically.
1. Mysterious Happenstances

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to it. That honor goes to the reputable J.K. Rowling.

**Chapter One- Mysterious Happenstances**

Laurel woke to the sound of chirping birds and the feeling of the sun warming her face. She smiled contently as she stretched her arms over her head in an attempt to work the kinks caused by a night spent on the harsh forest floor out of her tired body. Slowly she wriggled her way out of the comfort of her sleeping bag. Blinking rapidly, trying to convince her tired hazel eyes to work properly, she rolled up her sleeping bag, attaching it to the pack she carried with her. Hefting the large pack on the back of her 5 foot six inch lithe frame she began to walk towards the creek she had seen just last night. In the waters of the creek she saw her reflection. Tired eyes stared back at her, and her shoulder length unruly chocolate brown hair suck out at odd angles around her face. Even as she struggled to calm her unmanageable mane she gazed at the wilderness that surrounded her.

'Well,' she thought, smiling widely, eyes wandering from lush forest plants to the rustling of animals up in the trees, 'this is something I will never get tired of being around.'

It was almost three months ago that Laurel lost her job. She had been working as a secretary for a mediocre divorce attorney for the past four years. For the first few years things seemed to be going okay. Recently, however, her boss had hit a rough patch, and the business seemed to be on the fast path to bankruptcy. Her boss decided the best course for them to take would be to do a little bit of downsizing. It sounded like a good idea to Laurel at first, until she realized that part of downsizing was getting rid of the secretary. So, at the age of 25 Laurel found herself suddenly without a job.

Instead of wallowing - like she wanted to, or searching for a new job - as she almost certainly should have been doing, she decided to take a chance, and do something she would probably never get the opportunity to do ever again.

As a young child Laurel would always listen to her mother tell her stories about Europe, and the time she had spent backpacking there. She told Laurel of the towering trees, the varied shrubbery and animals she came across. Laurel lived for those stories as a child, and as she grew older she felt an urge to do exactly as her mother had.

Laurel knew that at the age of 25, this could likely be the last chance she would ever get to follow in her mother's footsteps, and she seized the opportunity. Now, two months later, she decided that she still did not regret the decision, and with only a map to guide her she continued on her journey of exploring what the forest of Europe had to offer.

That very day, around midday, something odd appeared in Laurel's path that made her stop unexpectedly. Just a little ways ahead of her there was a break in the woods that could only mean one thing, a clearing, and a large one by the looks of it. Confused eyes furrowed slightly as she removed the large pack from tired shoulders to retrieve the map she carried with her. As she unfolded the wrinkled piece of paper carefully her suspicions were confirmed. There was supposed to be nothing but forest for miles around. According to her map, this place didn't exist.

'Well,' she thought with care, placing her pack back on her shoulders, 'It could always be a recent development. Maybe they just haven't had time to update the map or something like that.'

With wary feet she continued onward into the clearing. As soon as she was free of the woods the sight that met her eyes took her breath away. In front of her was the largest, most grandiose castle she could have ever imagined. The flora flourished around it and it was so tall the towers seemed to reach into the clouds. It seemed ancient, and yet timeless at the same time.

"So much for this being a recent development," she thought out loud, doubting that someone could build such a magnificent castle in such a little amount of time that no one was able to chart it on a map. Mesmerized by the site before her she continued closer to the building. Sooner than she might have liked she stood in front of the enormous doors leading into the castle. One hand pushed hair out of her face slowly as she contemplated the choices she had.

On one hand she could open the doors and wander inside. The same part of her which had wanted to come to Europe wanted to choose this option. To explore an ancient and probably deserted castle would be an awfully amazing adventure, and Laurel had always wanted to have an adventure. I mean, how many times in your life are you going to come across a deserted castle in the middle of nowhere.

On the other hand that could be an entirely foolish idea. It was, after all, an uncharted castle in the middle of nowhere. There had to be a reason it wasn't on the map. Perhaps there was a rational explanation as to why they didn't want people going in it, such as inside laid a germ that would instantly destroy anyone it came in contact with. Sure, it wasn't the most likely circumstance, but stranger things have happened in more normal places.

To add to her concern, technically if she entered the castle it could be considered breaking and entering. Sure, it looked deserted, she couldn't see any lights on or anything, but that didn't necessarily mean that no one was there. What if someone heard her enter? What if they called the police? Surely it wouldn't be good to get arrested while on vacation in Europe.

It didn't take too long before Laurel determined that she had come to Europe to have adventure. She decided she would explore the castle, hoping that if someone was currently occupying the castle it would be some lonely old lady who would be glad for her company. Her jaw set, one cautious hand reached forward with the purpose of pushing open the enormous door before her.

Before that hand could touch the door, however, it swung open with force, revealing a tall foreboding figure before her. Instead of the lonely old woman she had hoped for, a tall lanky man loomed over her, arms crossed defiantly. Black, slicked back hair topped the man, who seemed to stand more than six feet tall. Obsidian eyes looked condescendingly down a crooked nose, and she could hear one foot tapping impatiently on the floor.

"You know," he began, voice full of distain, "it becomes much simpler to enter a building if you open the door rather than merely stare at it." He regarded her silently for another moment before turning away.

Laurel took a quick step back, stunned by the sudden appearance of the man in front of her.

"Who are you, and for what reason are you here?" The man asked her. Laurel stood, gaping, looking up at the stranger, to overwhelmed to formulate a coherent sentence. She hadn't _actually _expected there to be anyone here.

The man tapped his foot impatiently, "Well? Are you able to speak? Out with it."

Finally, Laurel seemed to regain the ability to speak. "I didn't actually think anyone would be here." She blurted out, wincing at how unintelligent that actually sounded.

He looked at her strangely, as though trying to figure her out. "If you're here to apply for the muggle studies position I'm afraid you've arrived days to early. That's no matter really, if it's too difficult for you to understand simple directions I'm sure we will not be interested in having you fill the position."

There were so many confusing things about that statement that Laurel didn't even know where to begin. She decided to ignore the slur at her intelligence. Instead she reverted back to the way her elementary school teachers taught her to think.

Breaking down the sentance she focused on the strange word that he had used, muggle. Usually she would turn to a dictionary to find the definition, obviously, but unfortunately when packing for her month long trip in European wilderness she did not think a dictionary would be a necessity.

'Well, since he used the word he must know what it means.' She figured logically.

Swallowing her pride she turned to him and asked, "What's a muggle? Is that some sort of slang you have here in England?"

The man's eyes narrowed at her and Laurel chewed nervously on her lip.

"What did you say?" He hissed out, each word punctuated harshly.

Crossing her arms in front of herself, suddenly self conscious, she shriveled in on herself under his intimidating gaze. "Well it's not like it's a common word or anything. I might not be a genius but I've never even heard it before."

She saw the man open his mouth as though he was going to say something, but it closed soon after. He pressed his thin lips together in thought as he looked at her with wary eyes. After a moment of silence Laurel was shocked when one pale, slim hand shot out and grabbed her bicep, dragging her through the large doorway.

"Hey!" She struggled, trying to pull herself out of his grasp as he towed her further and further into the strange building. "What the hell are you doing? Let me go!"

For such a lean man he was surprisingly strong, and Laurel found herself unable to break out of his hold.

The man sighed heavily, finally ceasing in his hurried pace, as he turned to the girl behind him, his steel grip never leaving her arm. "For Merlin's sake calm down. I'm bringing you to the Headmaster. You present an issue that needs to be fixed and as soon as we deal with it you can be along your happy little way."

Somehow, his words did not comfort her. "Listen," she tried to reason, looking around the cold stone hallway they were in for anything she could possibly use as a weapon, "I didn't mean to cause any problems and I'm really sorry if I did but I really just want to go now. I have friends waiting for me and they won't be happy if I don't meet up with them."

Laurel hoped he would buy her lie. If he thought there was someone waiting for he might be less likely to do anything to her.

Unfortunately his demeanor suggested he didn't believe her at all. "Your _friends _can wait," The sarcasm in his voice only confirmed her belief that her lie had been a failure. "This should only take a moment and I assure you no harm shall come to you.

'Well, that's comforting. I have the word of my potential murderer that nothing will happen. Fantastic.' Laurel was still looking around the hallway, debating trying to reach one of the torches on the wall to use as a weapon, when something caught her eye.

"How bizarre!" she proclaimed, almost completely forgetting about the man in front of her, fixing her eyes on a painting placed near her, "Who in their right mind would spend their time painting a man picking his nose?" As she examined the work of art, the figure within it suddenly pulled its occupied hand away from its nose violently.

"For your information I was not painted that way," It proclaimed haughtily, and a bit defensively, sticking its nose up in the air. "Nor was I picking my nose as you so crudely suggested. My nose merely itched, and I chose that moment to relieve myself of the bother."

With that, he walked clear out of the frame, and she thought she could even see him storming away through some of the other paintings that littered the hallways.

Bewildered, she turned back towards the man who had let her in. Her eyes slightly glazed over she wobbled precariously on her feet as her mind became overloaded trying to understand what had just happened.

"I think I just got told off by a painting." She told the man calmly right before the world went black, and she dropped into a dead faint, her body falling gracelessly onto the cold stone floor.

**BREAK**

Severus Snape stared at the woman crumpled awkwardly on the ground befuddled. When he had first seen her he hadn't known what to think. She was in a clear state of dishevelment, and the large bag on her pack seemed bothersome.

Really, with a simple charm she could have easily made that burden lighter.

The thought struck him that she must be there to apply for the muggle studies position. Merlin knew the people to take that job tended to be quirky.

It wasn't until she claimed to be ignorant of the meaning of the word muggle that he began to realize something had to be amiss. Severus had, in his multiple years, met many witches and wizards who had an uncanny infatuation with everything muggle, Arthur Weasley being the least annoying of them (though you would be hard pressed to get Severus to admit that out loud).

They would toy with muggle contraptions, and integrate them into their everyday life just because they found muggles to be fascinating for some unknown reason. He had never, however, in his multitude of years met anyone so fanatically obsessed that they feigned being ignorant of basic wizard knowledge.

He decided, against his better judgment, to bring her to Dumbledore. If she was merely senseless, there would be no harm done. If, however, as the tickling feeling in the back of his mind suggested, she was a muggle, there was a much larger issue that had to be dealt with.

He did have to admit, he was amused at her interactions with the painting, the one she happened upon being notoriously rude, however when she fell into a deep faint caused by shock he knew he could no longer deny the fact that the girl on the floor in front of him was almost definitely a muggle.

'This is impossible,' He thought, 'there are wards to keep muggles away from Hogwarts.' As far as he knew, the wards were impenetrable, and had been standing secure since possibly even before the day that Hogwarts was founded.

He also knew, however, that there was a first time for everything. True, the founders of the school set up the wards, but it wasn't as though they were all powerful. Eventually someone had to be able to get through the wards. Whatever the reason he knew that he had to bring the girl to Dumbledore, and tell him of the failure of the wards around the school.

Severus sighed, a little annoyed at all the trouble this small girl was causing him, but resigned to the fact that he would indeed have to seek an audience with the headmaster of the school. He removed his wand from its resting place in his pocket and pointed it at the unconscious female and muttered a levitation spell, fully intending to levitating her to Dumbledore's office.

To his astonishment, he girl did not lift so much as one centimeter off of the floor. One slim eyebrow rose as he realized his spell was failing to work properly.

'I know people supposedly lose knowledge over the summer,' he thought with distain, 'but this is absurd. Surely I have not regressed so much that I cannot perform a simple levitation spell.'

He turned to an empty side of the hallway, and hurriedly cast the first spell he could think of in order to make sure his wand was not malfunctioning. When the hallway lit up brilliantly with a perfect _lumos_, he was satisfied his wand was performing up to standards.

Again, he performed the spell, and again nothing happened. Once more, with a little more fervor this time he cast the spell to no avail. Severus lost count of the amount of times he cast the spell, using varying tones, and altered wand strokes in an attempt to figure out just what was wrong.

Eventually, a frustrated and exhausted Severus folded his legs, kneeling down next to the prone body of the enigma that lied before him. He tilted his head to one side and rested it on one palm, taking some time to just look at the girl on the floor before him. Even in worn out crumpled clothes he could tell she would be quite attractive given the proper preparation, for a muggle at least.

She looked so peaceful just laying there, a ghost of a smile playing on deliciously pink lips. It almost made him mad that this strange woman could just lie there innocently and be completely oblivious to the torment that she was causing him.

'How is it that, even while unconscious, this mere slip of a girl is able to deflect every one of my spells? I never even saw her touch a wand!' Removing the outrageously large and heavy pack she was still wearing, he slowly picked her up, one arm supporting under the bend in her knees, the other her upper back.

He cradled the strange girl to his chest as he began the journey to Dumbledore's office, all the while trying to ignore the fact that as soon as he picked her up his heart seemed to beat a little bit faster.

**End Chapter One**

A/N

So a few weeks ago I ran across a journal that I kept while I was in middle school. It was filled with this story. I have fixed it up, of course (this first chapter being originally around 100 words ;D), my skill having increased dramatically since middle school, but the plot remains essentially the same. The majority of it was written just after the fourth Harry Potter book was written, and thus does not take into account the happenings of the fifth book. I did, however, write out Sirius, accounting for his death.

I do still need a beta for the story, so if there is anyone out there interested go ahead and shoot me a message. It would be greatly appreciated.

Constructive criticism is encouraged and greatly appreciated, as would be anyone wanting to merely drop by to say "Hey pretty nice story you've got started here!" Hell, if you are even having a bad day and want to flame me, go right ahead. I hold no illusions to being a brilliant novelist, and telling me how horrible I am really will not hurt my feelings. I know yelling at someone now and again can be very soothing and have a good affect on anyone's psyche.

*Whoopsydaisy

Edited 8/30/09: Just a few minor changes.


	2. Questionably Reasonable

Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to it. That honor belongs to J.K. Rowling and J.K. Rowling alone.

**Chapter two - Questionably Reasonable**

Almost immediately after entering Dumbledore's office Severus was greeted by a soft, yet powerful voice.

"Ah, Severus! How unexpected it is to see you here today." Dumbledore's kind eyes twinkled merrily as he clasped his hands together on his desk. When he spotted the sleeping female in Severus' arms one silver eyebrow rose elegantly. "And who is our young visitor? I do wish she were conscious to answer for herself though. You are aware it is still considered rude to render young females unconscious don't you Severus?"

Severus might have snorted right then, if snorting wasn't so undignified. Instead, he chose to ignore the playful jibe and got down to the real reason he was visiting.

"I first believed this woman to be one of the applicants for the open position here," he said, placing the brunette on one of the more lush couches in the office. "However she failed to display basic wizardry knowledge. That, coupled with the fact that she fainted, quite proficiently as you may be able to see, after one of the paintings conversed with her led me to an entirely different conclusion."

His forehead wrinkling as eyebrows furrowed in thought Dumbledore rose from his chair and walked towards the very topic of their discussion. "Now that is unusual."

"Indeed." Severus said.

"She doesn't appear to have any magical ability, and I can say for certain she does not carry a wand on her anywhere." Dumbledore said, narrowed eyes studying the girl intently, "Tell me Severus, do you know how she was able to get past the wards we have up to keep muggles away? To my knowledge they have not been deactivated."

"To be quite honest with you Albus, I was hoping you would be able to answer that question for me." Severus said. Taking a place in one of the vacant seats he rested his elbows on his knees and pinched the bridge of his nose trying to delay the headache he could already feel creeping up on him. "As an added mystery, when I attempted to levitate her up here none of my attempts managed to move her at all."

Just a brief look could tell Severus that he now had Dumbledore's rapt attention. Gone was the playful face and twinkling eyes he so commonly carried. In its place was the stone hard determined face of the only man who has ever scared Voldemort.

"She is a muggle Severus, of that I have no doubt. There is no way she would have been able to block any spell of yours, and certainly not while unconscious."

"You don't think I know that?" Severus snapped, looking at his mentor through weary eyes, "But nonetheless no matter how many attempts I made at the spell it never worked. If you don't believe me feel free to try for yourself. Though if you do manage to succeed please do not brag too heartily for I fear you may bruise my fragile ego."

Ignoring the sarcastic last statement Severus made, Dumbledore did indeed try, and when the levitation spell he cast came out with negative results did didn't stop with that. He cast nearly every non-harmful spell Severus could name, from dying hair to cutting toe nails, along with a few that, had they worked as intended, would have caused some unsightly results.

Severus didn't know how long it was that he sat there, doing nothing more than watching Dumbledore cast spell after spell at the unconscious woman on the couch. Eventually, as all things must, the spell casting spree came to an end. When Dumbledore faced Severus once more the playful twinkle was again lighting his face.

"Severus I do believe it is time for us to call our absent colleagues to join us. If I am not mistaken I have an explanation for the extraordinary occurrences surrounding the young stranger here, and it is one we should share with the rest of the staff. "

At this statement Severus perked up dramatically, almost desperate to find out the reason this girl was able to resist all of his spells. "What is it Albus," he said, unable to disguise the curiosity in this voice in his desperation to solve this mystery. "Was it some sort of spell someone else cast for her protection? No, for that surely would have worn out with the number of spells we would have cast already. Perhaps then it was a charmed piece of jewelry, a necklace or a ring?"

"Oh no, it's nothing like that." Dumbledore said, waving his arms dismissingly. "None of those would be capable of also explaining how she was able to get past the wards we have in place around Hogwarts to keep out muggles."

Feeling as though he might burst with frustration Severus' tone became agitated. "Then what could it possibly be Albus? I have been working my way through one explanation and another, but none of them seem to explain just what is happening."

"The explanation itself is really quite simple, though I must admit to having some trouble thinking of it, and even believing it myself.

"And? Do not leave me in suspense here Albus, what exactly is the conclusion you came to?"

"The girl is merely immune to magic." Dumbledore explained. Without waiting for a response he moved to his desk to begin the process of summoning his employees.

Severus often found himself in situations where he seriously wondered whether or not Dumbledore was indeed the crazy old fool most believed him to be. This was one of those occasions.

"Surely that is impossible Albus. The idea that someone, especially a muggle someone, could be immune to magic is almost laughable."

"Is it truly that difficult to believe?" Dumbledore said, finishing up his summons. "I read a muggle book quite a while ago. It was rather lengthy and used so many extraordinary words it made me feel somewhat juvenile, but the theory it held was actually rather intriguing. Did you know that many muggles believe that for every disease there is at least one person in the world that will be immune to it?"

Severus could not seem to stop the incredulous look that came onto his face. "Surely I must have misheard you. I know I did not just hear you compare our magic to disease."

"The semantics may not be to your liking Severus, but that does not invalidate the idea in any way. Honestly I fail to see why you are so adamant that it must be false. I find the idea quite intriguing."

"Surely though," Severus began, stumbling over his words in an uncharacteristic clumsiness in an attempt to form some sort of decent argument against this ludicrous idea Dumbledore seemed intent on believing, "if this were even possible we would have seen at least a little bit of evidence of it before now."

"Not necessarily friend," Dumbledore started, picking a teacup off of his desk and filling it before taking a sip. "Were the immune child a descendant of a magical family he or she would have been labeled a squib, seeing as their immunity should have surely made it impossible for them to perform any magic themselves. Unfortunately prejudice is still quite prominent in many wizardry families, and many squibs are sent to live with muggle families, making the likelihood that they would have encounters with magic rather slim. On the other side of the spectrum if the child were born to a muggle family, as our guest here almost definitely was, any interaction with magic would be inherently rare merely due to the nature of muggles, and the way they live their lives. Assuming very few, if it is even more than one at a time, are immune to magic, it seems quite likely to me that we could have gone hundreds, possibly even thousands of years more without ever meeting someone like the girl before us. I must admit, I am rather curious as to how she came across this school."

Severus opened his mouth quickly, fully intending to debate some more, but was silenced as Dumbledore raised one hand. Dumbledore continued to speak. "This is what I firmly believe to be taking place; however I am not set in this belief. The rest of the faculty should be arriving here shortly and we shall discuss it more with them. Perhaps they will be able to give more insight into this unusual situation. I believe I hear someone approaching now."

Indeed, just as he said that last sentence they could both hear a grinding noise that could only be the gargoyle moving to admit a new guest. Severus relaxed in his seat, dreading the lengthy conversation that was sure to follow.

**BREAK**

The first thing Laurel heard as she began to regain consciousness was a small voice, which sounded like it belonged to male.

"I fail to see any reason she should remain here," the voice said. "No matter how different or _special _she is the fact remains that she is a muggle, and has no place in our world. I say we bring her to a town before she wakes and leave her in a nice muggle café, or something of that nature, and be done with this whole thing."

"I have to disagree with you Filius." A new voice, sounding like it belonged to an elderly female, argued, "Many muggles live perfectly fine in our world, as some have to should they choose to marry into it. Not to mention the fact that she has been exposed to things already. If Dumbledore is correct then there is no way for us to obliviate her. We cannot just send her back to live in the muggle world with knowledge of our world. No matter how little it is that she has seen doing so would put us at serious risk for exposure."

Laurel's eyes fluttered open briefly, but she closed them again rapidly as the bright light in the room shocked her eyes. Besides that slight movement she tried to remain relatively still, not yet sure if she wanted these strangers to know she was currently listening in on this conversation.

"I personally must agree with Minerva," a kind voice, obviously belonging to a male far past his prime, joined in, "it would likely be in her best interest if she remained with us for at least a short while. Though it might be best if we ask her herself what she wishes to do. She appears to be regaining consciousness."

Silently cursing the man for giving her up Laurel made a big production of squeezing her eyes shut tightly rubbing her face with both hands. She blinked blearily as she sat up and looked around, trying to act as though she hadn't been listening in on their conversation for the past few minutes.

Just to her right she saw an elderly man sitting at a large desk. Assuming he was some sort of power figure here she directed her first question at him.

"Who are you people, and where exactly am I?" She asked, taking a moment to glance around the rest of the room, seeing many strange faces peering at her. Sitting on the table in front of her she saw a plate of delectable looking crumpets.

"Oh my, how rude of me," the man at the desk said. "My name is Albus Dumbledore, and I am the headmaster of this boarding school. If you are hungry please feel free to take a crumpet. As for your question, we are currently residing in my office here at Hogwarts."

Not sure whether or not he was joking, and trying to ignore the fact that everyone in the room was unabashedly staring at her she focused on her feet determinedly. Deciding, against the wishes of her stomach, that it was not a good idea to accept food from a stranger, she instead chose to bring up the topic she had been itching to talk about since she woke up.

"So I ran into that trick you had on your wall in the hallway. It's rather ingenious really. It was actually a monitor right? I'm guessing you had a hidden camera observing me, and an actor in another room waiting to react to whatever I said. It was a little cruel, and sadly elaborate considering the desolate location you're in, but I was blessed with a sense of humor. I have to admit that you fooled me good. The whole thing gave me quite a scare, as you could probably tell."

Giving into temptation she snatched one of the small pastries from the table in front of her and began to nibble on it. It was the first homemade food to hit her tongue in nearly a month and she almost groaned in ecstasy at the sweet taste that entered her mouth.

The man tapped his fingers together, looking as though he was contemplating how best to answer her question. "Yes, I was informed of your encounter with Sir Eggleston Ms... I don't believe I ever caught your name."

Quickly she swallowed the piece of crumpet in her mouth before speaking, "Laurel. My name is Laurel Slade."

"Well Ms. Slade, I do apologize if Sir Eggleston was rude to you, he does have a tendency to be rather brash. I must tell you however that there was no tomfoolery involved in what happened earlier this evening. As difficult as it may be to believe you were indeed talking to a portrait. It was a magical portrait, but a portrait nevertheless."

Laurel almost laughed, beginning to get slightly nervous, around the small piece of crumpet in her mouth. "Of course it was. Next random body parts of yours are going to start disappearing as you talk about how mad everyone here is, right?"

"I am afraid this is not a joke Ms. Slade. That portrait was animated by magic. I myself am a wizard, along with everyone else in the room, excluding you of course. I understand this is not easy for you to believe."

At this Laurel did laugh, quite loudly too. "Oh no, I find it extremely easy to believe. All of you are completely insane. You all probably spent too much time studying magic tricks when you were little and have now isolated yourselves here convinced that you are all powerful magical beings or something. You've created a nice little society of mentally instable beings here."

The old man had the nerve to smile at her. "Perhaps a demonstration of my magic might make you more inclined to believe my claims."

Laurel tensed visibly as he reached into one sleeve, but when all he pulled out was a long stick like object she relaxed. She raised the small pastry in her hand towards her mouth to take a bite, and let out a small scream as, with a flick of the stick the old man was holding, the remainder of her crumpet turned into a small yellow chick. Dropping it quickly she couldn't help but feel sick as she watched it waddle away merrily.

"You aren't going to faint again, are you?" a slightly familiar dry voice from her right said. "I was looking forward to leaving soon and would not enjoy waiting here for you to awaken once more."

Still slightly dazed she turned her head to the left to see who had spoken, only to see the very same man who had let her into the building.

"You!" she exclaimed, one shaking hand pointing accusingly in his direction, "You brought me in here! This whole thing is your fault!"

If Laurel didn't know any better she would have to say he looked rather amused at her outburst. "Perhaps if you did not wish to gain entry to this building you shouldn't have been standing in the doorway. To the same end if you wanted to leave, fainting is hardly conducive to achieving that. I am hardy the guilty party here."

She looked at him scathingly. "You didn't exactly give me a choice. If you had, I definitely would not have chosen to be dragged into a room surrounded by a bunch of crazy people.

"We realize this is not going to be easy for you to accept." An elderly lady with her hair pulled back tightly into a bun at the top of her head spoke up, Laurel recognized her as the owner of the second voice that had spoken when she first woke up. "Having been raised in a muggle society the idea that magic truly does exist must be a difficult one for you to grasp."

"What the hell is that word anyway? You all use it so often, and I don't think I know every word in the English language or anything, but I've never heard anyone else use it before."

The old woman fielded the question. "Muggle is a term witches and wizards use when referring to someone who is non-magical, such as you."

Laurel stared at the woman as something fell into place in her mind. "You all honestly believe everything you are saying don't you. I mean, you all think you're magical."

"We know it to be true." The old man Dumbledore explained, his voice so full of confidence that Laurel almost found herself believing what he said. "Everyone in this room is either a witch or a wizard. We teach at this school to help young witches and wizards learn to manage their powers, and gain general knowledge at the world."

"Let's pretend for a second that I decide to believe you." She said. While the trick he pulled with her crumpet was very convincing, and she found it difficult to believe just anyone could do something like that, she had seen magicians on her television do things like make whole elephants disappear. Seeing it in person and not behind some curtain was awfully amazing, but she knew there had to be a trick to it. It was probably a whole lot simpler than she was giving them credit for. "What does any of this have to do with me?"

"We will not force you to remain here of course; you will be free to leave at any time should you wish to do so. I personally hope you will choose to remain here. You may not be aware of this, but you are quite the mystery to all of us. Severus, the man who let you in, attempted to use a levitation spell on you to help him escort you to my office. In the process, he discovered that you are most probably completely immune to magic. You are the first person we have record of who has displayed such a phenomenon, and the chance to observe you is not one I would easily pass up. Should you choose to stay here we will, of course, provide you with living accommodations, free meals should you desire them, as well as a job to supply you with monetary income."

Against her better judgment Laurel found herself actually thinking about his proposition. She still believed these people to be quite insane, but they really seemed quite harmless, and his offer was very generous. Even if the salary he offered her for the job was low, the money she would save on housing and meals alone would more than make up for that.

It's not as though she really had anything waiting for her back in America. She worked so hard to be perfect at her old job that when she wasn't doing something relating to it she was usually trying desperately to catch a few hours of sleep or eat a decent meal. Due to this, she didn't really have any close friends. After all, it wasn't as though she was looking forward to job hunting when she got home or anything.

Mentally Laurel shook her head roughly. Was she really thinking about accepting the offer? These people were all insane! There was no way she would stay here with them.

Quickly she decided the best thing to do was play along with them. "So if I did accept your offer, and I'm not saying I will, what would I be doing? Even if I did know how to teach I don't know anything about, well, anything here."

"I have considered that. I thought briefly about placing you in the open muggle studies position, though I realized it would hardly be advantageous to have you as a teacher even in that capacity. You obviously know much about the muggle world, but having no understanding of how the students here think would make it difficult for you to explain things to them. Instead, I thought it might be better for you to assist one of the teachers currently on our staff."

Had Laurel looked to her left she would have seen the eyes of the man sitting there widen in what could only be described as horror. "Surely Albus, you cannot possibly mean to-"

"Now I know this isn't quite what you meant when you asked for an assistant Severus," Dumbledore interrupted, his voice making it clear he was leaving no room for argument, "but surely this would be a much better alternative than some NEWT student. You still have quite some time before school starts to teach her the basics, and once the new year does begin she will be available to assist you no matter what time of day it is."

"How do we even know she can make potions? You yourself said she has no magical talent"

"Excluding some of the more advanced potions, potions do not require magical ability on the part of the brewer. As a plus, it makes sense to me that her immunity to magic should make the potions ineffective to her. She would be the perfect candidate to brew some of the more dangerous potions, once she reaches the skill level to be able to do so of course."

When it became clear that Severus had given up on arguing with the determined headmaster Dumbledore clapped his hands in glee. "To answer your earlier question Ms. Slade, should you choose to remain here you will be working as the assistant for Severus's potions classes."

Already planning a way she could escape this asylum Laurel plastered a fake smile on her face and said, "When do I start?"

**End Chapter Two**

A/N:

A heads up and warm applause for evenstar101 for offering to be my beta for this story, she already read through this chapter for me and fixed many mistakes I'm sure I wouldn't have caught. Thanks also to RecordxPlayer for offering to beta chapters in the future should I need it.

Thank you to all of the people who reviewed the last chapter! (Squee!, goldilox8265, sunshinefarah, RecordxPlayer, meeeeee, g, David Fishwick, and Valerie) I do like sending replies to reviewers, so if you want one please log in! It's not needed though.

So tell me what you think about this chapter! As always constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.

*Whoopsydaisy

Edited 8/30/09: Just a few minor changes.


	3. Of Dining and Dwellings

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to it. That honor goes to J.K. Rowling, who, unfortunately, is not me.

**Chapter Three – Of Dining and Dwellings**

Laurel left the room alone soon after learning the details of her new 'job.' For the next few weeks she would spend the majority of each day with the mysterious man Severus learning all she possibly could about potions. Once the school year began she would basically be at his disposal whenever he wanted to help him with classes. She was told she would be doing things like observing his classes, grading papers, and even assisting him in brewing some potions for use. Of course, Laurel didn't plan on staying long enough for any of this to happen.

Before she could get too far she felt a hand touch her shoulder softly.

"Ms. Slade, I believe we should both feel glad I found you before you managed to get yourself lost. Hogwarts is large, and can be quite confusing if you are not familiar with the layout. My name is Minerva McGonagall dear, and I am the transfigurations teacher here. Please, feel free to call Minerva."

Laurel smiled at the woman. Deciding it was probably best to be kind to these people until she could escape she responded, holding out her hand in greeting, "It's great to meet you Minerva, but please, call me Laurel. I was actually going to try to get lost. I wanted to get to know the castle a little bit more and I've found that the best way to remember where you are is to get lost first, if that makes any sense to you. Is there something you needed me for?"

"Yes actually, you left before Dumbledore could mention it but he thought you might be interested in returning to your old residence to collect anything you should need here."

Remembering to play along with their game she replied, "I don't really have much back home, and I have a few clothes with me here, though they really need to be washed. It would be nice to go back for my other clothes though, plus I do need to tell my landlord that I will be cancelling my contract. Will it be possible for me to get a flight back within the next week or two?"

Without missing a beat Minerva answered, "We could go in a few moments if you wish." Laurel's jaw almost dropped on the floor. For crazy people they were certainly well connected.

"You can get a plane on that short of notice? That's amazing! Do you have a private jet here or something?" To her surprise Minerva laughed at her.

"Heavens no, Merlin I can hardly believe the fact that you are muggle already slipped my mind. We should be able to travel by portkey. Since the magic is not going to interact with you directly we are assuming you should be able to travel as we do. Are you currently sharing your residence in America with anyone?" Laurel shook her head, "Good, good, then all I require is your address for the portkey. With that I can make the portkey and it will take us instantly to your place in America. We can be inside your dwelling of choice in a matter of moments."

'Of course she can.' Laurel thought sarcastically. As much as she didn't believe the woman she didn't see any problem with complying with her wishes. After all she was certain that whatever the woman was going to do wouldn't work. Since she didn't share the same delusions the rest of these people did, maybe when she told Minerva her 'magic' didn't do anything she would see reason. "My address is 8427 Harper Road, Apartment 219."

"Wait right here dear, I will return in a short while." With those words Minerva turned to return to Dumbledore's office.

While she waited for Minerva to return Laurel took the time to look around the hallway she stood in. The decorations on the wall still disconcerted her. They look like they are honest to goodness paintings. They all have texture, something that a television screen could never portray, but she knew that logically they couldn't be paintings. That just wasn't possible. Minerva soon came down from Dumbledore's office once more, saving her from thinking on the impossible paintings.

Laurel was shocked when Minerva presented her with an old boot. "This will be our portkey for today. All you are required to do is hold onto it. The portkey will do the rest."

Laurel did as told, and for a few seconds nothing happened. Then she felt a strong tug at her navel. Laurel watched through wide eyes as the world swirled around her violently. When the world came to a standstill once more she quickly dropped to her knees and closed her eyes tightly, praying for her stomach to stop heaving and wondering exactly what the woman had done to her.

She heard the woman walking around next to her. "You will feel better in a short while. Traveling by portkey can be shocking if you are not used to it. Forgive me for not warning you earlier."

Laurel raised her head and opened her eyes ready to tell the woman a few things that could make a sailor blush, but was stopped as she took in the sight around her. No longer were they in the cold poorly lit hallways of an ancient castle, but instead they were in a small, bare one room apartment, her apartment.

It was a modest place, when Laurel said she didn't have much she wasn't kidding. Only the necessities were there, a table, couch, dressers, a bed, enough plates and utensils for a few people, and other essentials could be found. In fact, a small end table littered with colorful scented candles and a poster for The Pirates of Penzance were the only decorations the apartment.

Laurel walked around her place in disbelief, wondering if maybe by entering that castle she became susceptible to the same mental instability that plagued the other residents. She touched her small brown couch almost expecting it to be an illusion, and jerked her hand back roughly the moment she came into contact with it.

She looked out her small window to see the poorly lit ally and dingy dumpster that made up her view of the city she lived in. All doubt about the claims the people at the castle made vanished as she realized that she was indeed in her apartment when only seconds ago she had been on an entirely different continent.

Apparently not noticing Laurel's confusion Minerva began to talk. "If you wish I can transport all of your belongings to your new quarters while you inform anyone you need to of the circumstances."

Laurel just nodded and walked out of her front door. Mechanically she marched down the two flights of stairs to the lobby not sure what to do. She could still escape after all, but it was obvious to her that these people were not crazy, and their belief in magic had at least some truth behind it.

The thought of actually staying in Europe and working with the people there at the job she had technically accepted began to cross her mind. If everything these people declared was true, as their claim of magic had been, they meant her no harm and would allow her to leave should she change her mind. There was really no good reason she shouldn't stay for a while, if only to see how things would work out.

For better or worse Laurel's mind was made up and she found her landlord, quickly settling everything having to do with her apartment. Explaining she should be fully moved out by tonight Laurel swiftly returned to her apartment only to find it already empty.

She looked around the bare room slowly. Laurel was almost surprised how different her apartment looked while bare considering she barely had anything there in the first place. She could still see indents marked into the carpet from where her furniture previously stood.

Melancholy took over and she felt her eyes burning with the beginning of tears as it hit her for the first time that she would never see this apartment again. It wasn't anything special, and due to how hard she worked she didn't really spend much time in it, but Laurel was a sentimental person. She had lived in this apartment ever since her mom had died six years ago, and it had kept her safe every night since then.

"There you are," She heard Minerva's voice coming from behind her, "I've moved everything to your new quarters. Is there anything else here you need to take care of before we return?" Not really trusting herself to speak Laurel shook her head. "Very well," For the second time that day Minerva held the old boot out towards her. "If you will, we can return."

Laurel grasped the boot and almost immediately she felt the same pull at her navel, and the world once again whizzed all around her. This time, she was able to remain on her feet once the world ceased its movement and she found herself in the same hallway she had left only a short time earlier.

"Now, if you will follow me I shall show you to your new living quarters." Briskly Minerva led Laurel down hallways after hallway. Laurel was so intent on remembering where they were going that she barely even noticed when they came to a halt in front of a large painting of a unicorn.

Turning to address Laurel Minerva spoke, "Your password right now is bristleweed, though you may change it whenever you wish." Laurel watched in awe as the unicorn snorted in acknowledgment, and the painting swung open as soon as Minerva said the password. She was so caught up that she barely noticed Minerva continued to speak, "All you need to do in order to gain entry is to speak the password out loud."

When the painting was fully open Laurel followed Minerva through the opening, and into a room that amazed her. Inside she could hardly recognize her old furniture. Unlike her old room this one was decorated with beautiful painting, and carpets covered the floor. The room could only be described as warm and inviting.

"The room to your left is your bedroom, and the one to your right is the bathroom. If you will excuse me now it is late, and it would be wise for both of us to get some rest." With that Minerva left, the portrait door closing soundly behind her.

After Minerva left, Laurel spent some time just looking around her new space. It was more beautiful than she could have imagined. On the far wall there was a large window with a touching view of a shimmering lake. She could imagine how the room would look with the morning sun shimmering through the window lighting the room brightly. In one corner of the room there was even a fireplace with logs in position, just waiting to be lit into a comforting flame. It was more than she could have hoped for, more than she could have ever wanted.

It wasn't hers.

No matter how barren or bland her old place was, it was her own. She had chosen each piece of furniture individually and placed it where she wanted it to go. Her new dwelling was stunning, but it held no meaning to her. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered, feeling strangely cold in the gorgeous room.

As she looked around the room she caught sight of herself in the mirror and nearly fell over in shock. She looked horrible! Her hair shined with the grease it contained, and she could barely tell what her real skin tone was underneath all of the dirt. It was only to be expected after spending three weeks in a forest without a proper bath, but she cringed as she thought about the shocking picture she must have presented to all of the people she met today.

Quickly, she took a shower washing away the grime she had accumulated over the weeks. Reveling in the feel of clean clothes on her washed body, she made her way to her new bedroom, only to find that her old bed had been replaced by a new king sized bed covered in a beautiful green down comforter.

She curled up in the strange bed and found she could not seem to go to sleep. Eyes glued to the ceiling she ran the day's events through her mind until eventually her eyelids drooped and she fell into a restless sleep wrapped up in warm green blankets.

**BREAK**

When Laurel woke up she was cold. She looked around the sun filled room only to see she had kicked the large blanket on the floor during the night. Clumsily she stumbled to her bathroom to get ready for the day. She got dressed into a casual outfit of jeans and a fitted pale yellow scoop neck sweater. Brushing her hair she made her way towards the exit leading to the hallways, wanting to leave the unfamiliar room as soon as she could.

She couldn't have been more than halfway to the door before it was opened revealing a familiar tall figure.

Laurel looked curiously at the same man who let her into the castle in the first place. "Do you make a habit of opening doors for people or am I just special? Hey, how did you know my password anyway? Isn't it supposed to be secret?"

Ignoring her first question he answered her second in a dry voice heavy with sarcasm. "Perhaps if you wished for your password to remain unknown you should not have left it as the same one another assigned to you. Dumbledore informed me of your password. He seemed to believe it would be beneficial for you to be shown the way to the Great Hall for breakfast. I have been given the task so you shall follow me."

Laurel had some serious Déjà vu as he walked away from her without a word. She caught up with him quickly, hoping this time she would not end up passed out.

"For your information, just because you knew my password that doesn't mean it's okay for you to enter unannounced like that. I could have been naked for all you knew."

He continued to face forward, his face never changing from its mostly neutral, slightly frowning expression. "Your point is obsolete; you were fully clothed upon my entrance."

Rolling her eyes she changed the subject. "My name is Laurel. Please, don't try to shorten it at all. People have tried and it never works. Your name is Severus right?"

"I am aware of my own name, as well as yours Miss Slade, though you will refer to me as Professor Snape."

Laurel wrinkled her nose in distaste, "Wait a second, I work here just like you do. I'm not a student or anything so why should I address you as Professor?"

His stony expression didn't change as he gave his reply. "We may be colleagues but I am still your superior having been here longer and having a higher title then you do. You may not be an enrolled student; however I will be teaching you making the student teacher relationship the only one appropriate."

Not certain how to respond to that proficient answer Laurel walked alongside him until she could no longer bear the silence. Looking at him cautiously to gauge his reaction she tried a more neutral topic.

"Do you know what will be served for breakfast? I really hope it's not waffles or pancakes. I could never stand the syrup people use on them, too much sugar."

The stony neutral expression on his face was replaced by one of mild annoyance. "Why do you feel the need to chatter incessantly?"

Laurel had the grace to look abashed. "My brain has this problem where it always needs to be busy. If I don't have anything to keep it full of activity I just tend to rant on about anything that comes to mind. Back home I wasn't as bad as I am now because I always had work to think about. Here, I don't have any work yet. Sure, I have things I could think about, but I don't really want to think about those things. I don't usually realize I'm doing it so if I start to feel free to tell me."

Looking at her he stated bluntly, "You are doing it."

Laurel blushed, looking at the ground as she continued forward. "Right, sorry. I'll try to stop I guess." She mumbled, busying herself by toying with the edge of her shirt.

Severus observed her for a moment more before facing forward again. "I believe I heard someone say eggs, sausage and toast would be served today."

Laurel beamed at him. "Thank you." She said simply.

Severus gave a grunt of acknowledgement before they turned into what Laurel thought could only be the Great Hall.

Four long brightly decorated tables sat before another one, at which she saw seated many of the people she had met yesterday. In the entire brightly decorated hall the thing that caught Laurel's eye the most was the ceiling, or lack thereof. Where there should have been a ceiling all Laurel saw was sky.

All Laurel could do was stare at the cloudless blue above her as she approached the head table.

"It's an enchantment dear," Minerva said as soon as she was close enough, "You don't have to worry about rain or anything. There is a real ceiling. Come now, there is an open seat right here."

Laurel sat in the seat Minerva gestured to, Severus taking the open chair to her right. Looking at the table Laurel saw that Severus was right. Eggs, sausage and toast were littered across the table. Of course there was also bacon, fruits, an assortment of muffins and every juice imaginable. Laurel piled some fresh fruit on her plate and chose a particularly delicious looking blueberry muffin as her breakfast. She listened absentmindedly to the chatter around her until she realized Dumbledore was aiming one of the questions at her.

"Ms. Slade, I have been wondering why an American such as yourself would find herself in the woods near Hogwarts. Would you mind sharing with us how you happened by here?"

"It's really not all that interesting. I decided to take a vacation backpacking in Europe when the opportunity arose. I stumbled across this place completely by accident. Did you know you are not on the map?"

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, we prefer to keep our existence a secret from muggles. We have many wards up to keep them away."

Laurel tapped her fork on her napkin, looking at the old man curiously. "I was able to get past those wards though, right? You said yesterday that I could be immune to magic, what exactly did you mean? If I was immune I shouldn't have been able to be magically transported yesterday."

"I'm still not entirely sure, but I think I have an explanation that should be able to answer most of your questions. Something about the way your body was built makes it resistant to magic. Magic and potions meant to directly affect your body or mind will do nothing to you. Things such as portkeys, and possibly enchanted or cursed objects, will most likely be able to affect you. When the magic is affecting you using a physical object it is made stronger, and more stable, which allows it to break through your natural defenses."

Laurel nodded, pretending like she fully understood what he was saying. "So this is unusual or something?"

"Until now it was unheard of. You are the first muggle to ever get past wards set up by wizards unaided. It was quite the extraordinary event for us."

Laurel heard a noise to her right, and turned her head to see Severus getting up from his seat.

"As much fun as this conversation is Miss Slade we have plenty of work to do if you are to be capable at potions by the time the students arrive." Without so much as an "excuse me" he left the table and began to walk away.

Slightly annoyed, Laurel said goodbye to Minerva and Dumbledore and ran after the cause of her irritation wondering if she would always be chasing after him like this.

**End Chapter Three**

A/N

Constructive criticism is appreciated. I hope you enjoyed it!

Snaps to my beta, evenstar101, for helping me with all of my chapters and making them better than ever!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter (still meeeeee, goldilox8265, Istani, g, Squee!, Jaeda, and Almost Harmless). Your reviews all mean so much to me and made me smile!

Till next time,

*Whoopsydaisy


	4. Haunting Condolences

Disclaimer- As it was in the previous chapters I still do not own Harry Potter.

**Chapter Four- Haunting Condolences**

Laurel had to admit, when she heard Severus taught in a Dungeon she didn't exactly think they meant that literally. While the room did not contain shackles, or any other evidence it was once used for torture or anything along those lines, the mood of the room was unsettling. No natural sunlight could be found in the room, and the flickering of magically lit torches only illuminated the eeriness of the gloomy stone walls that seemed to radiate iciness. As soon as Laurel entered the room she felt a chill rack her entire body.

There were enough desks for forty or so students, and one larger one covered in papers which obviously belonged to the professor, Severus. Beyond that, there wasn't much in the room at all. The most interesting thing by far was the wall behind Severus' desk. In front of that wall was a line of shelves covered in bottles. They were different colors, shapes, sizes and some even seemed to contain living things. She supposed they were ingredients to be used in potions. Then again, they could be the end product of potions someone had made previously.

Severus, seemingly unaffected by the atmosphere of the room walked calmly up to a shelf full of books. Looking over them briefly he picked out one, and placed it on a desk near the front of the room.

"Read this," he said plainly, "once you have committed the contents to memory I shall test you and we will move on. Is there anything you find unacceptable about this situation?"

A little scared that he meant it as a rhetorical question Laurel took a chance, and asked, "Wouldn't I learn faster if you actually helped teach me?"

Almost as though the scowl he gave her wasn't answer enough he answered, "While I would love to cater towards you needs I have things I must finish. Your appearance here is already troublesome, and I will not allow it to cause me to fall behind in my work." With that, he took a seat at his own desk, and went about his own business.

Bemused Laurel took a seat where he had placed the book, noticing the title read simply, Potions. Besides the book lay a piece of parchment and a quill she supposed were for her to use for note taking. Frowning at the objects she wished she had thought to bring a pen and some paper with her. She had never written freehand on an unlined paper before, not to mention with a quill.

Already not looking forward to the mess her notes would surely be she pried open the potions book to the first page, and began what she was sure would be a tedious day of reading and note taking.

**BREAK**

Severus Snape was not a very happy man. For the past month he had been waiting to refill his valerian root supply. In a fashion that was uncharacteristic, Severus had let his valerian root supply run dangerously low. Severus knew that the best time to pick strong, healthy valerian root was when the full moon was high in the sky. Last night just happened to be a full moon, and Severus had every intention of raiding the Forbidden Forest to refill his supply.

Then this girl had shown up at Hogwarts. Completely missing the opportunity the full moon presented, Severus never touched a valerian root as intended. Instead, he sat in Dumbledore's office waiting for that blasted girl to wake up. Of course, she just had to wake up right after the moon fell just too far to be considered high in the sky.

As if it wasn't enough that he would have to wait until the next full moon to refill his supply of valerian root, now he was saddled with the task of teaching a muggle the art of potions. It only added insult to injury that the said muggle was an American.

Surely, some being of power was holding a grudge against him.

Sitting at his desk her found it quite impossible to focus on the task at hand. Severus had been using up his supply of valerian root rapidly to help with the potion he had been working on for the past few months. It was a variation of the Draught of Living Death he was attempting to invent. Whereas the Draught of Living Death merely induced sleep, his new potion, which he had yet to name, would induce sleep, and induce dreams, giving you the ability to fully remember the dreams after waking. It was his hope that this would allow the user to gain insight into their unconscious helping the user to make difficult choices, or just to understand a little bit more about their self.

He was so close to achieving this potion that he could almost taste the final product. Now, however, he found it almost impossible to focus on that potion. The only thing he could concentrate on was how exactly a muggle, with no magical ability, was able to completely resist magic, even from someone as powerful as Dumbledore.

He knew it could not be a charm or spell that someone else cast. Both of those options would leave some residue, and he had found no trace of magic on her person anywhere. The only viable ideas remaining were that there had to be something different about her that caused this to happen.

It could be something in her genetics, a deformity or variation in genes which would give her this ability. There was also always the possibility that it was a difference in her blood which caused her abnormal reaction.

The potential this held amazed him.

If he were able to locate the source of her immunity, there was a possibility that he could harness it into some sort of potion which would warrant the user immune to magic. The potion itself would surely only be affective for a few minutes, the length depending greatly on the strength and capabilities of the brewer. In a duel, however, even two minutes with immunity to any spell could make a weak, inexperienced dueler defeat a substantially more proficient dueler with relative ease.

Not only would this be the biggest breakthrough in potions in years, but it would change the way people around the world viewed magic.

He itched to work out the details, and a list of potential ingredients was already running through his head.

While part of him wanted to begin to experiment on this prospective new creation of his the logical part of him knew it would be dangerous for him to even think of this potion for a prolonged amount of time.

That same part of him also made a note to tell Dumbledore that what this girl could do had to be kept a secret. After all, Voldemort is no fool. Should he catch wind of what this girl could do he would immediately recognize the same potential that Severus himself was so excited about. Severus, as Voldemort's resident potions brewer, would then be forced to either create the new potion, which would surely ensure the victory of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, or refuse to do so, revealing and losing his valuable position as a spy in one turn. It was not a position he wanted to find himself in.

Tapping his quill on his desk impatiently he sighed, relinquishing his desires to the fact that he would have to ignore his wish to create this new potion at least until Voldemort had been defeated. He stared at the notes of his current project blandly until he checked the time, and realized it was time for lunch.

Standing up from where he sat he addressed the girl, "It is time for lunch now. If you will follow me to the Great Hall we may resume work upon our return."

He found it amusing the way she jumped in shock when he began talking, surprised at the sudden noise after the silence that had filled the room for so long.

Looking up she smiled at him and said, "That's alright, go ahead without me. I'm really not that hungry right now. I'm sure I'll be fine until dinner is served."

Snape frowned at this, remembering she had eaten relatively little at breakfast for a person her size. Deciding it was not his problem if she felt the need to starve herself he accepted her excuse and walked to the Great Hall alone.

Snape had to admit, he found himself impressed with her work ethics. Aside from her first question, which he begrudgingly admitted was a fair one; she had not spoken at all, and had been studying diligently the entire time.

When he reached the Great Hall he found he was one of the last to arrive for Lunch. Dumbledore was the first to greet him as he approached the table.

"Severus my boy, where is our dear Ms. Slade at this time. Did she not accompany you?"

His scowl deepening Severus had to wonder if every part of his life would now be filled with questions of the girl. Taking his seat, he responded, "She decided she did not wish to dine at this time, choosing instead to remain in my class room working on her assignment."

Severus did not miss the scathing look Minerva sent his way as she began to speak to him. "You had better not be working that poor girl too hard Severus. The circumstances are probably already making things difficult for her. Just yesterday she learned that everything she was told while growing up is not true anymore. You have no idea how difficult it can be on a person to find out something like that."

Severus wanted to scream at her. He wanted to yell that he knew just what it was like. Ever since he was a child he had been taught that muggles and mixed blood wizards were a lower life form. Every adult his parents introduced him to would tell him how worthless they were, and how the best thing one could bestow upon them was a death at the hands of a wizard. For most of his life, he took this as fact, not knowing there was any other way he could see things.

Then, he befriended Lily Evans and his psyche was tossed into turmoil. He tried to hate her, he really did, but it didn't work. She was the kindest person he had ever met, and the first person to truly care for him. It went against everything she had ever been taught. She was supposed to be stupid, worthless, and yet she was a better person than he, the purportedly pure one, was.

He still hated himself for the way he acted as a child, and regretted the decisions that he made before he knew the truth. He was still trying to make up for the mistakes he made.

Yes, Severus knew just how difficult this situation was for her, though he was surprised at the manner in which she is dealing with the situation. She wasn't crying or sulking, or denying the truth all together, but instead she appeared to be trying to adapt to the new circumstances. It took Severus far too long to get to the point she was already at. He resented that this American muggle was able to do what he couldn't.

Instead of revealing all of his thoughts to everyone at the table he replied, "I am giving her the work necessary to prepare her for the new semester. If she does not have enough knowledge by the time the students arrive she will be a hindrance, rather than a help." Turning to face Dumbledore Severus spoke to him, "There is one thing I wished to bring up about Miss Slade however Albus. I feel it would be in everyone's best interest for her imperviousness to magic to be known by as few people as possible."

Dumbledore nodded, face serious as he replied. "I presume you have thought of how her ability might be used against us by some less than reliable characters."

"It would be very difficult for them to harness the ability in any way, but I am afraid there is a way it can be done. It might be best for the students to believe Miss Slade is a witch merely here to receive her potions apprenticeship."

He heard a snort come from a ways down the table, from one Filius Flitwick. "Yes, because that is surely going to be believable. The woman cannot do any magic, and will most likely have barely a second year's knowledge of potions by the time classes begin."

Glaring at the small man, Severus replied scathingly, "Miss Slade will not need to display her capability in magic or potions to the students. As students it is their job to take what we tell them as fact, not to derive their own conclusions."

Dumbledore's smooth voice cut the tension. "You do have a point Filius; it will be difficult to prove any claim that Ms. Slade is an accomplished witch and potions mistress, however we have little choice in the matter. It would be much more difficult to explain why we are employing a muggle. If everyone keeps up the pretense that Ms. Slade is a witch it should not be difficult to convince the students that this is a fact. We will all have to do our part to ensure Ms. Slade never finds herself in a situation where any normal witch would be expected to use magic."

'Well that is just fan-bloody-tastic,' Severus thought, stabbing a piece of meat with his fork before putting it into his mouth and chewing it savagely, 'Not only do I have to spend time teaching her, but now I have to baby sit her as well.' Sure, he held some pity for her, the situation was a difficult one, but that didn't mean he had to be happy about the fact that she was slowly dominating his valuable free time.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled amusedly when he saw the scowl on Severus' face. "On a separate note, our two new teachers should be arriving sometime within the next week or so. I have hired Ms. Philippa Russell for Muggle Studies, and Mr. Boris Shaw for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Please, welcome them accordingly should you see them."

Severus did not recognize either of the names, which most likely meant he would be dealing with two more half-wit teachers on the staff. It was especially frustrating that he never got the Defense Against the Dark Arts position since the people Dumbledore continued to hire for the position were almost always absolute rubbish. The only decent teacher he ever hired was that git Remus, and capable or not Severus did not think Remus was any better than the others Dumbledore had hired.

Deciding he was finished eating and absolutely tired of listening to others mindlessly chatter Severus rose from his seat, and without bothering to excuse himself left the Great Hall, the prattle of the others slowly dimming behind him.

During the walk from the Great Hall to the Dungeons Severus quickly became of the opinion that it should be much longer. Aside from his sleep it seemed to be the only time recently that he was able to go without being bothered.

It was a time that allowed him to sort out his thoughts, to think through the things he had to do. He realized his problem with the shortage of valerian root could be solved with relative ease. There was a nice potions shop in Hogsmeade. They didn't tend to overprice their items, and they were always of a usable quality. Perhaps a trip to Hogsmeade was due.

When he arrived at the door in front of his classroom he stood there for a while, debating his options.

He could go directly in the room, but that would be predictable, and honestly it was not something he wanted to do. He could always walk away, which seemed more desirable, and claim he got lost on his way back to the room. Sure, it wasn't the most believable excuse, but it would have to be enough for her.

All excuses flew from his mind as he heard a piercing scream of pure terror coming from the room.

The possibilities ran through his mind in an instant. Was there a spy on the staff they didn't know about? It was possible Voldemort already knew about the strange American muggle. Why else would the girl scream unless she was being attacked by someone? It wasn't really that difficult for him to decide. He would rather reveal his position as a spy then let Voldemort get his hands on this girl.

Without another thought Severus yanked the door open and ran haphazardly into the room, almost afraid of what he would see.

**BREAK**

After Severus had left the room Laurel heard her stomach growl loudly. She blushed hotly, glad that she was alone in the room when that happened. Not only would it have made it obvious that she was not as full as she made herself out to be, but it would have been awfully embarrassing.

Yes, she was actually unquestionably hungry. So hungry, that her stomach felt like it was folding in on itself. She knew, however, that she couldn't afford to spend time eating lunch. Dinner would only be in a few hours, and she had an entire book to learn.

The thing about Laurel is that she throws herself head first into her work. In high school she was the girl who studied at lunch. In college she was the woman who took courses from six in the morning until seven at night. Just a few weeks ago she had still been the girl whose only excuse for a life was the time she spent in the office. She doesn't always do the best, never getting straight A's in high school, or the top of her class in College, hell, she got fired from her job because she was the least necessary.

No matter how she does, Laurel throws herself into her work, putting everything else in her life second. This is no exception. Severus told her to engrave the contents of the book in her brain, and that is what she would do. Until she achieved that goal, everything else would be less important.

Just a little while after Severus left for lunch Laurel got an idea of how to remember the potions better. Whenever an ingredient she didn't recognize was mentioned, Laurel made it a habit to look in the glossary for a picture of the item. Having a mental image of what the ingredients looked like helped her remember what they were. Remembering the bottles on the shelves behind Severus' desk, she decided she would look to see if they were the ingredients she was learning about.

Not only would this help her become more familiar with the ingredients, but it would make it easier for her to assist Severus should the time come for that.

Quickly, she found her way behind his desk and looked at all of the bottles, the book Severus gave her open in her hands. To her surprise, and pleasure, each and every one of the bottles was labeled. Putting the book down on his desk she decided to study the ingredients by themselves for a while.

Most of the contents of the bottles were not too extraordinary. There were many herbs and plants she herself knew of, but there were also things that astounded her. There were so many different livers, hearts, lungs, and other internal organs from various animals that Laurel had to wonder whether or not Severus merely had a fascination with the innards of small creatures. There were, as she has suspected earlier, many living creatures within the bottles as well. Bats, rats, and apparently faeries were contained. Many of the bottles contained liquids that looked like nothing more than water, and she tried to ignore the suspiciously looking bottle filled with red liquid.

Laurel was trying to discern what exactly was in one bottle labeled essence of baby's breath, when she thought she heard a noise behind her. She froze in place, trying to remember if she had heard the door open. She didn't think she had, but as far as she knew wizards didn't have to open doors in order to enter a room.

Thinking she had been caught in the act she turned around sheepishly, expecting to see one very angry potions master. That was not the sight that met her eyes instead. When her brain had finished processing just what exactly she was seeing she let out a scream, her heart beating rapidly in pure dread.

**End Chapter Four**

A/N- Tell me what you thought! Sorry for the cliff hanger! I just had to do it. The chapter was supposed to end after the second scene but then it would have been far too short for my tastes.

Cheers to my wonderful Beta evenstar101. She has a wonderful story up too! It's a SS/HG just in case you are a Severus fan you should check it out. :)

A big thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, (Jaeda, goldilox8265, Squee!, evenstar101, grumpirah, and OniSaruKaraJigoku). You guys rock my fuzzy toe socks, seriously.

*Whoopsydaisy


	5. Awkward Engagements

Disclaimer: I still somehow fail to own Harry Potter. Sad, isn't it?

**Chapter Five - Awkward Engagements**

Laurel's heart beat uncontrollably in her chest as she screamed at the top of her lungs. Standing, or rather floating right in front of her was a real, honest to goodness ghost. He was dressed in full renaissance attire and had short, curly white hair. Fully transparent, his colors were muted, and he seemed to take on the tint of whatever stood behind him.

The ghost let out a scream of its own, though significantly quieter than Laurel's, and backed away from her, eyes widening, looking at her as though she were crazy.

Laurel ended her scream and whipped towards the door as it was slammed open revealing one potions professor. His eyes wild and wand drawn, he searched the room for any danger quickly, trying to discern the cause for alarm.

Hastily, Laurel hurried to his side, "P-p-professor!" She managed to squeak out, hiding behind him and grabbing tightly onto the back of his robes.

Without trying to look at her Snape said, "Where are they?" She could feel how tense his body was, he was a man ready to pounce "Where have those attacking you gone to?"

"Attacking me? What the hell are you talking about? This is no time for jokes; there is a ghost in the room! This castle is haunted!"

If anything, Laurel felt his body tense more at her words. "That is the reason you were screaming so piercingly, because of a spirit?"

Still cowering behind him, Laurel nodded slightly, her body trembling against his back. "Yes a ghost. There's a full blown fucking apparition in the room!"

A new voice, one Laurel did not recognize, spoke up, "I did not mean to startle you child. I merely meant to introduce myself. It is not often I find the chance to meet a new person who is not a child attending school here, and I wished to seize the opportunity to have a conversation with someone who will most likely not resort to calling me foolish names."

Laurel gripped the back of Severus' robes tighter as she peeked around his body slowly to look at the ghost. It was still standing there, calmly, looking slightly worried.

"Did that ghost just talk? They aren't supposed to do that, are they?"

Sighing heavily Severus addressed Laurel, "Ghosts are a regular occurrence in the Wizarding world. There are at least twenty that roam Hogwarts. This one is Sir Nicholas, the resident ghost of Gryffindor." Seeing the way she merely stared blankly at him, he turned to address the spook "Perhaps it might be best if you leave for now Sir Nicholas."

"Of course," He bowed politely to the pair, "It was a pleasure to meet you madam, I apologize sincerely for upsetting you and hope we might meet under better circumstances another time." With that, he left, floating through the far wall.

After he had left Laurel just stared at the spot in the wall he went through. Her eyes began to burn and to her horror she began to cry quite noisily. Tears ran down her face and she wiped at them with the backs of her hands, trying to force them away.

Severus turned towards the girl behind him as he heard a noisy sob coming from her. He winced inwardly as he saw that she was crying. Her face was red and blotchy she sniffled noisily as she smeared tears across her cheeks with her hands.

Severus had never been good at dealing with crying women, and he stared at her awkwardly, not quite sure what he should do. One hand reached out tentatively, as though to offer comfort, before he thought about what he was doing, and pulled it back sharply.

He opened his mouth to speak, when all of a sudden she began to talk. "This is all just some big fucking dream right, some cosmic joke a messed up god is playing on me? I'm sure I'll wake up tomorrow and everything will be back to just how it was before. I'll still have my old job, I'll still be in my old apartment, and everything will still be normal.

"But that can't be right, can it? I went to sleep last night and woke up perfectly fine this morning. That doesn't happen in dreams does it? This isn't a dream, I know that, it all seems too real to be a dream, but there's no way this could be happening. Normal people don't keep faeries in jars. It isn't possible to jump across continents in seconds, and ghosts certainly do not apologize for scaring the shit out of someone. Hell, you guys probably have the Loch Ness monster shacking up in that lake outside don't you."

"No, the Loch Ness is in a lake more to the North, but we do have a giant squid in ours." Severus spoke without thinking, wincing once he realized just how much that was not the right thing to say. He could face interrogations by Voldemort, he could create potions most people would have a hard time even thinking of, but the task of saying anything remotely proper to a crying female seemed daunting.

A wet bubbly laugh escaped her lips as she whispered faintly, "A giant... of course you do, why not?"

Severus grunted uneasily as he conjured up a tissue for her when her tears began to subside, hoping she would manage to not pass out this time.

Accepting the tissue, she attempted a smile which ended up looking more like a grimace, "Sorry," she murmured, using the tissue to dry her face, "Ghosts have always been a big fear for me. When I was little I actually convinced my mom my room was haunted and refused to stay in it alone for any amount of time." The laugh that came out now was less watery, "She actually had to go and hire someone who dressed up like a priest and 'blessed' my room for me. Only after that would I sleep in my room alone again. I guess I just saw the ghost and freaked. Now that I think about it I guess there could have really been a ghost in my room, huh. I should have suspected you guys would have things like that here, huh?"

Severus stared at the girl, confused as to how someone could be a miserable ball of tears one moment, and then the next be sharing childhood stories. This girl was a puzzle, and he was unsure how to react to her. He resorted to what he did best, telling the blunt truth. "Yes, you probably should have. Our world has many things you will be unused to. You should be better prepared the next time you run into something a little unusual."

"Right, I'll try to do that I guess. Sorry to be a bother, I'll get back to studying now." Walking to Severus' desk she retrieved her book, sat down in her place, opened the book and got down to studying.

Severus stared at the girl for a few minutes, unsure if he truly understood her. He thought at first she was coping better than he thought even he would were he in her position. Now, however, it seemed as though the reason she was studying so intensely was because she didn't want to deal with everything she was learning about.

This would not do. She might appear to be doing okay now, but what would happen in the next few months? When the students came she was supposed to act as though she had been raised around things like this, as though they were nothing out of the ordinary. How long would it take before she ran across a goblin in a filled room and decided to freak out again? It would be rather difficult to explain how a witch didn't think a goblin was something normal people might see.

'Perhaps a trip to Hogsmeade is a little bit more overdue than I thought,' Severus postulated, 'it would be beneficial for her to be exposed to more of the Wizarding world before the students began arriving.' For now, he merely sat at his desk. He would tell Dumbledore of this new development, and let him figure how to fix it.

For the rest of the day the two sat in silence, both going about their own business until it was time for supper. Even during supper, Laurel sat quietly, her mind focused intently on the things she remembered from her studying earlier, trying to ensure she would always be able to recall them.

When she returned to her room she sat curled up in a chair. She studied her notes meticulously until it hurt to keep her eyes open. Slowly, she fell asleep in that very chair, her notes resting lightly in her lap.

**BREAK**

The next week held many new surprises and events for Laurel. She had a conversation with Dumbledore about what she could and couldn't tell the students when they arrived.

Apparently she was supposed to be the daughter of a muggle father and a witch for a mother. She was raised in America and attended a small, little known magic school local to the town she grew up in. She heard of the wolfsbane potion a while back, and when she decided to pursue potions as a career she became determined to become an apprentice to the man who had created it. Thus, she found herself at Hogwarts a short while later.

Laurel's only wish was that her real life could be half that interesting.

In the week that had passed the two new teachers also arrived.

The muggle studies teacher, Philippa Russell refused to answer to her given name. She declared she would allow the students to call her professor if only to maintain the appropriate relationship, but the teachers were to call her Pippa, or she would ignore them entirely. She was quirky, to say the lease. Whereas most of the people in the castle wore long plain robes, Pippa wore oversized jeans and t-shirts with asinine sayings on them, her favorite seemed to be one with the phrase, 'Computer programmers don't byte. They nibble a bit.' She told Laurel once that she didn't really know what it meant, but a cute muggle male she had met once told her it was funny. For the most part Laurel liked her. She seemed to be a free spirit, and Laurel admired the way she was able to speak her mind without caring what anyone thought about her.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, however, was less quirky and more frightening. When Laurel had met the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Hagrid, she was certain he would be the largest, most intimidating man she would ever meet. When she met Boris Shaw she was proven wrong. A dark scowl seemed to be constantly present on his face, and even though he walked with a hunched back, he was still capable of looking down on anyone threateningly. He wasn't as large as Hagrid by any means, but his demeanor made him seem more threatening. He never smiled, and almost never spoke. When he did, it came out in this harsh growl of a voice.

Laurel wasn't sure exactly where Dumbledore was able to find all of the different characters he appeared to enjoy hiring, but he sure found the most colorful ones.

As far as her potions studying went, things didn't seem to be turning out as good as everything else was. She read the book tirelessly, and spent most of her spare time poring over the copious notes she takes, but she never seemed to make Severus happy. Every morning he would test her on her knowledge, and every morning he would tell her she was not ready to begin.

Honestly, Laurel wasn't quite sure why exactly she wasn't ready yet. Sure, she got a lot of the questions wrong, but that was to be expected. Only a week ago she had had no idea magic even existed, and now he wanted her to memorize list after list of strange ingredients in only a few days?

Plus, it's not like she couldn't just have the book open while brewing the potion.

Laurel held her head high as she reached the Great Hall, and decided that she would force Severus to let her at least attempt to brew a potion today. She knew he wouldn't be very receptive, but then again the man wasn't very receptive to anything. The only time she had even seen an even slightly amused look on his face was when she had, in a foul tired mood one morning, made a joke at the expense of the daunting Boris Shaw.

She sat in the same place she had become accustomed to, sandwiched between the eccentric Pippa and always silent Severus. She ate breakfast silently as she listened to Pippa ramble on about things she had seen in the muggle world during her brief visits. Every morning Pippa would talk, and ask Laurel questions about things she still had trouble understanding.

"I would have never believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself. In every one of those hotel rooms that I would stay in they had a small box that would show pictures! They even managed to make the pictures move like we do. I tried to ask what it was called, but when I inquired about pictures they seemed adamant that they had no pictures in the room."

Laurel nodded, "It's called a television actually, and it's not a picture. It's a show that was recorded with a video camera."

"Tele-vision, what a strange name. Tell me Laurel, what is the purpose of it? Does it help you with your chores?"

"It doesn't do anything but show stories. People make movies and such and we can watch them on the television."

"It's truly amazing the things muggles can do without magic. Tell me more of these stories people have made."

"Well, there are all types of different stories. One of my favorites is about a girl who lives with seven dwarves. At first they don't all like her but she's very nice to them, and in the end they end up saving her from the clutches of her evil step-mom who turned out to be an evil witch, and turned into a dragon in order to destroy them all."

Pippa chuckled, "That is the silliest thing. Everyone knows animagi aren't allowed to turn into dragons. Turning into any sort of mystical creature is strictly taboo."

"Well," Laurel started, trying to remain patient in her explanation, "muggles don't really think anyone can turn into any sort of an animal. They had her turn into a dragon because a dragon would be scary."

"Why on earth would they have one of the main characters turn into a dragon if they don't believe in shape shifting? That doesn't seem very realistic to me."

It was always around this time in Pippa's questioning that Laurel began to get a bit annoyed. She was fine answering the questions and all, but the woman asked the most asinine questions. Yesterday Pippa had asked her to explain how exactly muggles were able to make a giant metal bird fly.

Today, Laurel was saved from trying to explain the unexplainable by a surprising intervention on the part of Severus. "Miss Slade, there is going to be a change in our schedule today."

Her heart soared! Could it be? Was he talking about letting her brew a potion today? This whole forcing him to let her do what she wanted thing was turning out better than she thought it would.

Trying to act as though she wasn't thrilled, lest she change his mind with her exuberance, she said, "Really? What will we be doing differently?"

"We will be taking a trip to Diagon Alley."

Her soaring heart plummeted back into place abruptly. A bit disgruntled she tried to work up some excitement for the trip ahead of her, "Well, that would probably sound more thrilling if I knew what that was."

Pippa was the one who gave her the answer, "It's a lovely place hun, full of shops and wonders. The Ice Cream Parlor is a must visit for any newcomer. You should try their pickle flavor. It is superb!"

Too busy hoping that Pippa was joking, Laurel barely noticed when Severus began to talk. "I am overdue for a visit in order to refill my supply of some ingredients which are more difficult to acquire. It will be a good opportunity for you to familiarize yourself with some of the different anomalies in the Wizarding world."

She nodded, "Alright then, when will we be leaving?"

"Just after breakfast we will leave for Diagon Alley by way of portkey."

Laurel balked, "Really, that's interesting. Do we absolutely _have _to travel there by portkey? I'm a very good hiker if that's any consolation."

"Portkey is the fastest mode of transportation available for you to use. Diagon Alley is a large place, and will most likely require the attention of most of your day for you to see most of the sights there."

She looked towards the female at her side, "Are you going to come along with us Pippa?"

Pippa shook her head, "Oh no, I have far too much work to get done. The children will be arriving in a short while you know, and I must have everything ready before they appear."

Starting to get worried she looked further down the table, "Minerva, Dumbledore, will either of you be making the trip with us?" Both answered negatively, and she looked at her plate, searching for other viable options.

Before she came up with anything Severus spoke up once more. "Most of the people here are employed in a legitimate career and have little time for frivolities such as a day on the town. We shall be the only two going today."

She blushed, not knowing her desperate attempt to find someone else to go with them was so obvious. It's not that Severus was a mean person or anything; it's just that he can be a little intimidating at times. She had been here one week, had spent the majority of each day in his presence, and still knew little more about him than the fact that he teaches potions at the school.

During their sessions all he would ever do was sit at his desk, going about his own work. He would look up every once in a while, as if to make sure she was still working, then look down at his desk. For the last half hour of each day he would quiz her on facts he believed she should know.

She still got most of the questions wrong.

Despite how much she was dreading spending the day with the stoic man she followed obediently when he excused himself, and exited the Great Hall. As soon as they had reached a place suitable for using a portkey Severus pulled a busted up comb from one pocket and held it out to her.

Instead of taking hold of it right away she looked at it curiously, "Are all of these portkeys always going to be ugly pieces of garbage or something? That might get old after a while."

Impatiently, Severus responded, "The dingy nature of the items improve the chances muggles will merely disregard the item should they happen by it. We have no time for any more questions. Take hold of the portkey now or I shall be leaving without you."

She sighed, realizing she should have known better than to _dare_ ask a question she grabbed hold of the portkey with one hand.

Thankfully, this time the tug at her navel didn't seem quite so harsh, and the spinning world only made her stomach churn slightly. When the world stopped once more she was able to stand solidly on her own two feet. Secretly, she was proud of herself, though she doubted Severus noticed, as he was already walking toward a store.

Laurel hurried after him as she tried to take in the sights around her. It didn't look entirely different from muggle Europe really. There were crowds of people walking in and out of stores, most likely with items that cost them far too much money. Colorful posters, items and clothes decorated the various windows lining the streets. Sure, the people were all wearing robes instead of normal clothes, and the shops seemed to be selling brooms and cauldrons rather than bikes or movies, but overall the atmosphere was similar.

Severus stopped in front of one store, and turned to face Laurel, "This is where I will leave you. I have business in this store that I must attend to. Until I am done you will spend your time wandering around and taking note of the oddities you see."

Laurel nodded briskly, not that he saw her nod, as he had already turned around to enter the building. Not quite sure where to start Laurel turned around and looked at everything around her. She walked forward and entered the first store she ran into. It happened to be a broom shop.

Out of all the things she had found out about Wizards and Witches the funniest thing had to be that they actually flew on brooms. She had laughed outright when Pippa had told her that was one of the more popular modes of transportation. The idea was so wonderfully cliché and entirely ridiculous.

She looked about the store for a short while, but didn't really find anything too interesting. To her they all appeared to be the same. Sure, some of them had fancy paint jobs and glitzy attachments, but when she looked at them all she saw were brooms that would be very difficult for her to sweep with.

The next store she entered was more interesting. It appeared to be a candy store, but the only treats it contained that she recognized were the lollypops, and even those had strange flavors. Laurel had a difficult time believing anyone would ever want to try a blood flavored lollypop. There were chocolate frogs, fudge flies, Jelly Slugs, and various other candies that promise to burn holes with acid or explode in your mouth. Sure, she had seen strange candies in novelty shops before, but never as odd as these, and certainly not in such large numbers.

As tempted as she was to try some of the sweets, if only to see if they were as horrid as it sounded like they would be, but realized she had failed to bring any money with her. A little disappointed she made a mental note to ask Severus if they could return to the store before they made their way back to Hogwarts.

Laurel left the candy store and began to head to another shop when she ran smack dab into a large body. Shocked, she looked up into angry grey eyes set in a sour face topped with slicked back platinum blonde hair.

Seeing anger begin to cloud his features she hurriedly scrambled for an apology. "I'm so sorry sir. I should have been watching where I was going. I didn't mean to run into you."

The man looked down his nose at her haughtily, "Of course you didn't mean to collide with me. No one runs into someone on purpose. Still, you are right to apologize. Tell me your name girl."

The man's arrogance was overwhelming. Unwilling to cause a scene, however, Laurel merely answered his question. "My name is Laurel Slade. May I ask for yours?"

Apparently he decided to ignore her question as he said, "What exactly is your business here Miss Slade? I have never seen you around before."

His refusal to even acknowledge her question threw Laurel off. Quickly she scrambled to remember the story Dumbledore had told her, "I'm here to study potions under the professor teaching at Hogwarts."

This time his words held a kinder tone, "Are you now? How is that coming along for you? I have heard the man can be rather difficult to work with."

Laurel looked at the man with distrust. He seemed oddly interested in her job for a man she had just run into, and his sudden change in attitude was quite frightening. Timidly Laurel spoke, choosing her words with care, "He's adequate as a teacher."

His smile was slimy and fake, his icy eyes watching her chillingly, "Is he now. How long did you say you have been studying under him for?"

"I didn't." She said shortly, not liking anything about the man in front of her. "You know, I never did catch your name."

Before the man could speak she heard a familiar voice come from behind her. "Malfoy," It said. Laurel turned around to see the scowling face of Severus Snape, "Do you have some sort of business with my apprentice?"

As she turned to look at the blond she had been talking to she noticed the vindictiveness beneath his smirk. That was all she needed for her to know that this encounter would assuredly be unfavorable.

**End Chapter Five**

A/N:

Ten points to anyone who can guess the movie Laurel was describing. To anyone who can't, give me your e-mail address and I'll send you a list of movies that are classics and you absolutely have to go see.

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! (Squee!, goldilox8265, evenstar101, grumpirah, meeeeee again, OniSaruKaraJigoku, Jaeda, and smiley) Thank you so much for taking the time to review my story!!

Special thanks goes to evenstar101 for being an awesomfull beta! :)

*Whoopsydaisy


	6. Torturous Delights

Disclaimer: I'm poor, therefore I either have a ridiculous inability to manage money, or I don't own the rights to Harry Potter. I'm going to go out on a limb and claim the second fact as true.

**Chapter Six: Torturous Delights**

Laurel looked at the man who opened his arms widely as though greeting an old friend, "Severus, so good to see you. I've just met your student here. Imagine my surprise when I discovered you had a protégé. Tell me, how long has she been studying under you?"

Laurel had never seen her mentor so stiff. When he answered it was with a callous, stony voice, "It was not my intention to take on an apprentice, however, Dumbledore gave me little choice in the matter. As he is my superior I felt it best not to argue with his decision to appoint her to me. She has been studying potions under me for about one week now."

"Interesting," Although Laurel failed to see how this fact was interesting the looks on the faces of the men seemed to indicate the information was very remarkable. The only difference being the blond in front of her seemed to find it almost amusing, while Severus looked almost sick.

Smiling his disturbing smile of his, the man Severus called Malfoy spoke once more, "Well I'm sure you two have a busy day ahead of you, as I do. I bid you a nice day." Laurel felt a chill run through her body as his eyes raked over her, "It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Slade."

With that, he left, leaving Laurel alone next to one angry potions master.

"I leave you unaccompanied for two seconds and you manage to find trouble. How exactly did you manage to do that?"

Laurel usually wasn't one to talk back, but she couldn't stand being accused of something she wasn't guilty of, "I was hardly in trouble. I ran into a man who proceeded to engage me in polite conversation. I don't see anything wrong with that situation personally."

The harsh laugh that came from the man talking to her was shocking. "Do you even know who the man you were having a 'polite conversation' with was?"

She frowned at the man in front of her. Of course she didn't know who he was, and Severus knew that very well. She didn't know anyone in the Wizarding world who didn't currently reside at Hogwarts. Why on earth would he even ask her a ridiculous question like that? "Well, not really, but he seemed to know you. If you know him he couldn't be that bad could he?"

The weary look that crossed Severus' face made him look tired and old beyond his years. "His name is Lucius Malfoy. You would do well to avoid him should your paths cross in the future."

She tilted her head to the side slightly, perplexed by his sudden change in demeanor. He went from furious at her to miserable and almost pensive in the blink of an eye. "Is he really that awful?"

"This is something you should not argue with me about."

Hesitantly she tried a smile, deciding to use a joke in an effort to lighten the mood. "I guess I didn't really get to talk to him enough to see how he really is, but I will say one thing. His hair is dreadful! It looks like he fell into a bucket of peroxide or something. Really, someone should tell him what a mistake he is making."

She saw a wicked gleam in Severus' eyes as he considered her briefly before speaking, "My business here is finished. I trust you have had time to look around some?"

The abrupt change of schedule confusing her she answered, "Well yes, but-"

"Good, then it would be best for us to make our return to Hogwarts."

Before he could pull the portkey out of his pocket Laurel quickly placed her hand on his arm to stop him. "But I promised Pippa I would try some of the Ice cream they have here, and I haven't even found the shop yet. Couldn't we at least stop for a treat there first?"

One of the corners of Snape's mouth lifted slightly, in what could almost be called a smile. "Do you mean to imply you actually listen to the things that inane creature says?"

Laurel frowned at him. "Don't be rude. For all her quirks she is a really nice person and it's cruel of you to make fun of her."

"Can you honestly say you don't share my opinion on the woman? This morning you seemed quite relieved when I ceased her absurd line of questioning. For someone who seems to think she is a nice person it would be odd to feel thankful when you are saved from having to interact with her more."

Abashed, Laurel looked to the ground knowing she was guilty as charged. "Just because I get annoyed with her constant questions does not mean I disrespect her as a person. She's actually nice when she's not badgering me for facts about the muggle world, and I find her to be a great friend." When all Severus did was look at her she fidgeted uncomfortably before continuing, "So are we going to have ice cream, or will we be returning to the castle right away?"

"I suppose it would not be too detrimental to my work if we spend a few minutes more here."

Beaming at him, Laurel said, "Thank you so much! Now, where exactly is it?"

This time, she had no trouble keeping up as he walked in a different direction without a word. The walk was surprisingly short before he turned into a store. The inside reminded her greatly of an old fashioned ice cream parlor she used to visit as a child. Crisp white tables and chairs were scattered along the floor, and a smiling young man stood behind a counter filled with tubs of colorful ice cream.

"Good morning, and welcome to Florean Fotescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Is there anything I can help you find today?"

Smiling at the young man, Laurel said, "Good morning to you as well," she had to squint in order to read his name tag, "Jerry, I haven't really had time to look at the selection you have. Which flavor would you recommend?"

Jerry's head bobbed absentmindedly as he answered her, "Well one of our most popular flavors is the pickle flavor, but if that is not to your liking mustard, onion, and sour cream tend to go rather rapidly as well."

Laurel's stomach gave a nauseous heave as she heard the boy list off the different flavors. She smiled weakly at the boy behind the counter. "Oh... Well those sound just lovely-"

Seeing her hesitance Jerry spoke again. "My sister personally loves the orange chocolate sherbet. It's made with real orange peels."

"You know Jerry, I think that will work just fine." After all, she'd eaten weirder things than orange peels in her lifetime.

The boy nodded his head in confirmation. "Would you like to hear any of the condiments we have available for your ice cream?"

Quickly, too scared to even want to know what they felt were adequate condiments, she answered, "No, Just the ice cream is fine for me. One scoop only please." Jerry then addressed the man behind her, "Anything for you today sir?"

Before Severus could answer negatively, as she was sure he would, she replied for him, "He'll have the same as me please." Turning to smile politely at the disgruntled man behind her Laurel addressed him. "There is no way you are going to make me sit here on this nice afternoon and eat ice cream by myself. You're going to sit here with me so you might as well have a treat yourself."

Not waiting for him to present an argument Laurel went and found a place to sit as Severus paid for their ice cream and brought it over to where she sat down.

Holding the chilly treat in her hand she began to eat it slowly. While Laurel was never one who enjoyed sweets too much ice cream had always been a weakness of hers. She let out a soft moan as she savored the flavor of sweet frozen vanilla teasing her taste buds. All too soon the ice cream was finished, and she looked despairingly into the empty cup.

Pouting, she looked up to Severus, "That's the whole problem with ice cream, you know. Just when you really begin to enjoy it all of a sudden it's gone. It truly is a pity."

Seemingly not responding to her words Severus merely looked at her, his own untouched ice cream sitting on the table in front of him. Moving quickly he picked up both his own cup, and hers, as he moved to put them in the trash. When he returned, he took the seat across from her once more and he looked at her, a look of contemplation upon his face.

"Miss Slade, I have been thinking." He said, Laurel could tell he was struggling with the words. "The students will be arriving soon, and for you to be calling me 'professor' in front of the students would not be conductive to a productive learning environment. For the students to respect you they must believe we hold mutual respect for one another. You shall refer to me as Severus from this moment on."

He was so silent after that Laurel decided not to mention the fact that she was sure Dumbledore had put him up to this. Instead she smiled at him with kind eyes and replied, "Well I guess if that is to be the case you should get used to calling me Laurel, agreed?"

He nodded, and they both got up from their seats and made their way back to the castle in a comfortable silence.

**BREAK**

Severus Snape sat in his room trying desperately to keep his attention on the work at hand. As it usually was of late, however, he found himself suspiciously unable to focus on anything he was doing. Instead, he found his mind wandering to the same person who had been addling his thoughts for the past week; that insufferable girl Laurel.

She was a mystery to him in many ways. When he had opened the door to her just a short seven days ago he had imagined her to be a spoiled snooty American type, and hadn't put much more thought into it. That is, until he had seen her work. While she didn't have quite the aptitude for education that people such as Granger did, her dedication surprised him, as did her almost hindering inability to complain about all of the difficult things he shoved her way. Severus didn't doubt that if he told her to clip the toenails of a hippogriff she would try her damndest to do so.

Then, when he thought he had her pegged as the wholly unsuccessful workaholic he had seen another side to her personality when they had visited Diagon Alley. When he had poked fun at the shocking new Muggle Studies teacher he had partially expected her to join in on his cruel mockery. Instead, she had defended the woman. She had been able to look past the fact that the woman was tacky, shameless, and often flat out boorish, and seen that there was a kind person buried somewhere under that uncouth exterior.

The trip to Diagon Alley had also brought to light some unpleasant revelations which were eating away at what little stability Severus had somewhat managed to hold onto over the years. He was becoming drawn to her. When he had seen Malfoy talking to her, with his slimy smile, eyes raking over her body, the rage that filled him had surprised, and scared him. The last time he had cared so much about what happened to someone was when Lily was alive, though that was the last thing he wanted to think about.

These thoughts matter in the slightest, however, because there was no possibility that she looked at him as anything other than an old exasperating potions professor who was all too hard on his students. That was the only exterior he would ever present to her, the only one it was safe for her to see.

However he found it impossible to forget the moment that she stood up for Pippa. She had looked past every annoying trait that woman had, and found something to like. Maybe there was the chance she could see past all of the walls he had built. Severus put that thought into the same part of his brain where he shoved all thoughts of Lily, the part of his brain labeled, 'do not touch.'

The encounter with Malfoy, however, did worry him beyond the reasons mentioned above. When Dumbledore had assigned Laurel to be his student Severus had failed to report that act to Voldemort, and now it seemed that would come to bite him in the arse.

From the way Malfoy had smiled at him maliciously Severus had no doubt Malfoy knew the Dark Lord was unaware of the new apprentice Severus had acquired, and would make it his personal duty to inform Voldemort of just what his pet potions master was keeping secret. He knew that soon he would be summoned, and he tried desperately to think of a viable reason that he would have kept the information of his student from Voldemort.

Severus wasn't given time to think of an adequate excuse, as at that very moment his dark mark began to burn unsympathetically signaling Voldemort required his presence. Gripping the mark harshly he hissed in pain as his entire arm quivered with the intensity of the calling. Voldemort was not pleased.

As quickly as he could he used the portkey he kept on standby and got to a location where he could apparate. From there he apparated to where he knew Voldemort would be waiting, not looking forward to the confrontation that was sure to follow.

When Severus entered the room he saw Voldemort sitting in a chair his pet snake Nagini resting on his shoulders, and Malfoy standing at his side looking all too smug. There was no one else present in the room, and that was what troubled Severus the most. Usually when Voldemort interrogated he enjoyed doing so in front of a large crowd. He believed it would encourage loyalty if his followers saw what happened to one even accused of betraying him. The fact that no one was in the room besides the accused and the accuser meant either that Voldemort had a particularly cruel plan for him, or he didn't actually believe the accusations were founded. Personally Severus hoped the latter was true.

"Severus," Voldemort addressed him, "How kind of you to join us today."

Lowering to his knees in front of Voldemort, Severus bowed his head in respect. "You call and I shall come, my lord. Is there a reason you require my services today?"

"You may stand before me. I have received some disturbing news from Lucius just now Severus, do you know of what I speak?"

His mind scrambling to think of an appropriate response Severus said, "I can think of nothing that might require your attention."

His hand ran down the body of his pet snake slowly as his inhuman eyes bore into Severus'. "You did not believe the fact you had a new apprentice might be useful information for me?"

This would truly be a test of how good Severus was at thinking on his feet. "She is a mere child Dumbledore appointed to be my subordinate. I did not believe the matter was significant enough for you to squander any of your valuable time on."

Voldemort watched the man in front of him carefully, "Well I do. Tell me Severus, does the girl have any talent? She must be at the very least tolerable for that fool Dumbledore to take interest in her."

Severus tried to appear as though he was not struggling for the proper words. He did not want the apprenticeship to appear odd, and yet it was imperative Voldemort did not believe the girl worthy of his attentions.

"She is adequate enough at brewing potions, however she does not appear to be intelligent enough to improve upon existing potions, let alone create her own." He clenched his hands together tightly, willing them to cease their nervous sweating.

Voldemort stood, and approached Severus slowly, his movements careful, calculated. "Somehow I don't think you are telling me the whole truth Severus, why is that?" Standing just in front of Severus he trailed one pale finger down the side of Severus' face, "Everything would be so much easier if you would just tell me the truth you know."

Somehow managing not to tremble as he felt the icy finger touch his skin he prepared himself for the invasion he was sure would be coming. Still, he wasn't ready for how forceful it was when Voldemort began to use legilimency on him. Pain racked his entire body and he clenched his teeth forcefully to fight the sting caused by the mental intrusion. A slight grimace graced his face as he stood there.

Closing his eyes tightly, he tried to shut out the invasion entirely, though of course, that did not help in the least. Instead he focused on his occulmancy, trying to ensure Voldemort would only see the things Severus wanted him to see.

Carefully, he hid the meetings with Dumbledore, the discovery of Laurel's unique talents, and the fact that Laurel didn't have one magical bone in his body. He could only pray that he hid them deep enough.

He could hear soft hisses coming from Nagini, and the breaths of Lucius, constantly becoming deeper, harsher, as he took sadistic pleasure in the obvious pain Severus was in. He forced himself to not hear these thoughts, trying instead to focus on the scenes he wanted Voldemort to see.

Not for the first time Severus wished that he could know, with certainty, just what Voldemort was finding in his memories. As he stood there trembling the fear of discovery ruled over any other thought. Voldemort stood calmly in front of him, making his merry way through Severus' mind. At any moment he could come across a memory that would reveal Severus as a traitor, and most likely Severus wouldn't even know he had found this memory until that flash of green light ended his life. The thought of it terrified him.

Abruptly, he felt Voldemort's presence leave his mind and he dropped to his knees in relief. Echoes of the pain the invasion had caused reverberated through his body as he heard Voldemort return to his seat.

"Fortunately for you it seems you are indeed telling me the truth Severus. It's a pity really; I was rather looking forward to a good torture session today. The opportunities seem to come by so rarely nowadays it is rather depressing you know. Though you did fail to mention the girl in the first place, so I suppose..." He trailed off, seemingly deep in thought, before he pointed his wand at Severus and shouted, "Crucio."

If anything Severus was glad that he was already on the ground, because he would have fallen anyway. Harsh screams ripped from his throat as the pain from Voldemort's Legilimency session was forgotten, replaced with the burning his body felt now. Severus could say for certain that the Dark Lord was assuredly not out of practice as fire ripped apart his body.

As he writhed on the floor in pain he could hear the amused laughs of the two men as they exited the room, leaving Severus to suffer alone. The curse itself didn't last too long, ending shortly after Voldemort made his exit, but it was still some time before Severus could find the will to stand on his own two feet. Shakily he dragged his aching body over to the fireplace in the room, opting to floo directly to his own quarters instead of using his usual portkey.

He thought briefly about going to Dumbledore, reporting what had just happened, assuring him everything was alright, but exhaustion won over his sense of duty.

As he pulled himself wearily into bed he couldn't help but wonder, was it really worth it? Living this double life, suffering on a daily basis, all for what? To help a kind, if not a bit deluded, old man win a war? To save the lives of people he didn't even know? No, he knew he didn't do it for reasons such as that.

Yes, he believed what he was doing was worth all of the pain it caused him, but not for such altruistic reasons. Instead, his reasons were entirely selfish. He did it as a way to atone for his sins. He did it because it helped him to sleep better at night.

He did it for the one woman he ever deluded himself into believing he loved, if only with the hope that maybe, if she saw him now, saw all that he was sacrificing, that she might love him back.

Severus was an entirely selfish man.

**End Chapter Six**

A/N: So not such a cheery chapter. Just a little bit of insight into what I think Severus' life as a double agent it like. Tell me what you think!

Big thanks to my beta evenstar101 and to everyone who reviewed in the last chapter (meeee, goldilox8265, Jaeda, evenstar101, David Fishwick, Squee!, Smile, your mom, butterscotch please, Watson, and sunshinefarah) You guys put big toothy grins on my face. :D

*Whoopsydaisy


	7. Corruptive Contacts

Disclaimer: So I am here to assure you all that I do not own Harry Potter. I'm just borrowing some of the characters during my free time to have some fun with them. :)

**Chapter Seven: Corruptive Contacts**

Laurel knew something was wrong with Severus as soon as she entered the dungeons and turned classroom she had spent so much time in in the past week. Her first clue was the fact that when she entered the room he was nowhere to be found.

Earlier, at breakfast, she hadn't seen Severus at the table. At the time she hadn't been too worried because Minerva had told her before that Severus regularly missed breakfast choosing instead to have the house elves deliver food directly to his dungeons so he could get a head start on the day's work. It was only when she found his classroom to be empty that she began to worry. Sure, she hadn't known Severus for very long, but he did not seem like the person who would be late to anything.

Slightly uneasy she took her regular seat and opened her book to begin studying. Every few sentences she found her gaze drifting away from the book, moving instead to look around the room. Her head would whipped in the direction of even the smallest noises as if to see if maybe Severus really was there and just decided to hide in a corner for shits and giggles.

After an hour of unproductive studying her worry for the man teaching her became too bothersome for her to ignore. Determined to figure out just what was going on she pushed herself roughly up from her seat, the legs scraping against the floor harshly, the screech it created echoing throughout the empty room.

Laurel froze in place, startled by how loud the sound of the chair scraping was against the ground. She almost expected to get in trouble for moving while she was supposed to be studying. When she still didn't see any angry potions master, or hear any annoyed yell telling her to sit back down, however, she continued on her journey to find her absent tutor.

Instead of leaving the dungeons to search the castle, as had been her first instinct, Laurel moved towards the far corner of the classroom. Taking small, light steps she crept toward the door that stood there, the door she was sure led to his private quarters.

With a careful hand she twisted the knob on the door, and pushed lightly, expecting the door to open. When it didn't, she pushed a little harder, then with more and more force but the door still refused to open. Finally, after much time spent kicking and swearing at the door it gave way under her hand, and opened up to reveal the room behind it. It was a small room, filled mostly with books, and in one corner she spotted the man she was looking for curled up on a bed.

Laurel wasn't exactly sure what she had been expecting, but it certainly was not what she found. Severus was curled up in a fetal position on top of the covers. His skin pale and sweating she had never seen a more sorry sight than the one he presented there, trembling arms hugging his own form tightly.

Worried, and wondering what the hell was wrong with him, she made to move towards him; however a hand on her shoulder forced her to halt. She turned around to see Dumbledore behind her, his eyes sadly looking past her to the form on the bed.

"What's wrong with him?" She asked. Sure, Severus had never been the kindest to her, but she felt as though they had started to form some sort of mutually respective friendship, and she was worried for his well being.

Dumbledore's poignant eyes met hers. "Come, child, Poppy will be here soon to tend to Severus." He took her arm and led the stunned girl back into the classroom sitting her down in one of the many empty seats. "Severus will be fine; there is nothing to worry about on that front. Now, is there anything I could get for you? A lemon drop, perhaps? The house elves do make a marvelous apple pie if you would prefer something more substantial."

The old man's smile seemed forced to her, and honestly she wasn't one to be distracted easily. Instead of accepting his offer for food she merely restated his earlier question. "What's wrong with him?" She was so unwavering in her desire to find out what was wrong with Severus that she didn't even notice when the resident Medi-witch of Hogwarts, Poppy, made her way quickly through the classroom and into Severus' room.

Dumbledore sighed, "You are persistent when you want to be aren't you, young one?" When he was met with no answer he continued. "Severus has many demons, you must understand, and recently some appear to have caught up with him."

She tilted her head to the side, trying to understand what was going on. "Is he sick or something?"

A minute, heartbreaking smile found its way onto Dumbledore's face as he replied, "I am afraid that is all I can tell you without feeling like a silly old blabbermouth. Anything you wish to discuss about Severus' condition today you will have to please bring it up with him."

She leaned back in her chair. "Yes, because I'm sure he would be so receptive to that. I can see how the conversation would go." She began to talk in a falsetto voice, an obvious imitation of her own. "'Oh Severus, by the way, I saw you the other day looking like you were about to die you know, and I was just wondering what exactly what was wrong with you.'" Returning her voice to normal she rolled her eyes. "I doubt he would actually dignify that with a response before walking out of whatever room we were in."

A genuine smile could be seen on Dumbledore's face. "Yes, Severus is not one to talk about himself very much, is he?"

She hummed in acknowledgement as Dumbledore continued to speak. "Perhaps it might be best if you take a break for the rest of the day." At the sour look on her face he amended his statement. "At the very least it would be wise for you to find another place to study. I believe Severus will be taking a personal day today. You are free to do as you wish."

Hesitantly Laurel got out of her chair, and with one last, drawn out, troubled glance toward Severus' personal room she exited the dungeons, the heavy doors closing soundly behind her.

Dumbledore watched the door for some time after she had left, if only to make sure she would not return. He walked into Severus' room to see Poppy sitting in a chair by the bedside, Severus now lying still on the bed looking considerably healthier. Taking Poppy's inactivity as a good sign he made his way over to her. "Do you know what has happened to him Poppy?"

"It's not very good news Albus, but there is little I can do for him at this point. He will fully recover, with given time, but it will take a very long while for that to happen. He appears to have taken a particularly nasty cruciatus, as well as a long session using Occulmancy against a skilled Legillimens. I don't know what happened to him Albus, but if it happens again anytime soon he will surely not live through it."

Dumbledore took in the information and thought through it carefully. "Is it safe for him to be awake as of now, Poppy?" I have a few questions I would like to ask of him."

She fixed him with a stern gaze. "The man needs his sleep Dumbledore, so much so that I don't even want to risk moving him to the hospital wing. He will remain here and I will stay until I deem him able to take care of himself. Should he awake naturally I will permit you to talk to my patient. However, if I even think you have used any sort of magic to wake him I swear I will ban you from this room Dumbledore, Headmaster or no. Your questions will just have to wait."

"As my awakening seems to be a non-magical occurrence Poppy I believe it will be fine for Dumbledore to ask a few questions of me, am I correct in assuming that?" The tired, hoarse voice of Severus Snape came from the bed before them.

Looking surprised Severus had managed to awaken so soon Poppy stumbled over her words. "Well… I suppose that might be alright then."

"If you wouldn't mind leaving then Poppy? I'm certain the questions Dumbledore wishes to ask me will not pertain to you."

Obviously displeased with Severus' words Poppy looked toward Dumbledore for support. "Perhaps it might be best if you return to care for Severus after our discussion. I assure you Poppy, it will not be long."

Disgruntled, Poppy huffed loudly. "Fine, but I will be standing right outside the door. If he as much as yawns I want you to leave immediately, do you understand Dumbledore? The man needs his sleep."

"Of course, Poppy."

She nodded professionally. "Very well, you have five minutes to speak to my patient then, Dumbledore, before I reenter." With that she felt the two men alone in the cold room.

"I suppose you won't accept 'I got in a fight with a potion' as an excuse will you?" Even feeble and gruff Severus managed to infuse sarcasm into his voice effortlessly.

"What happened last night Severus, I know you left the campus, and returned a short while later. Beyond that I know nothing for fact, and can only speculate as to what happened. It was Voldemort that called you last night, was it not?"

Severus nodded, closing his eyes wearily. "During the Diagon Alley trip yesterday Miss Slade had a run in with our dear Lucius Malfoy. He seemed to believe it was his duty to inform Voldemort of the fact I had taken on a student."

"From the state you are in I take it he was not pleased to learn of that information."

"I'm afraid he might be becoming a little suspicious of my intents. I blame Malfoy for that, personally, but whatever reason, he does not trust me as he once did. He spent a particularly long time using Legilimency on me, trying to discern whether or not I was telling him the truth."

His eyes sharp Dumbledore asked seriously, "What did he learn of the girl?"

Severus shrugged, before wincing, regretting the movement when his entire body began to throb in pain. "When he left me he did not seem to have found any information that might be damaging to my position as a spy, however I know as little about what he saw as you did. Unfortunately Voldemort is very skilled at keeping what he learned from whomever he is interrogating. Despite this I am relatively certain he did not see anything specific which would inform him I was a spy. If he did, I have little doubt that I would be dead right now."

This all seemed fine and well, but one fact still bugged Dumbledore. "If he did not find any condemning information why did he use the cruciatus on you? Or was that an entirely separate occurrence?"

Severus' eyes became alit with disdain, "Voldemort felt he was out of practice as far as torture was concerned. The poor man has had too few traitors as of late."

Dumbledore shook his head sadly, "The man is truly deranged. You do not know how many times I've thought on his time at Hogwarts. I knew the boy, knew he was troubled, and I tried to help him, but apparently I wasn't able to be helpful enough. If only I had been able to influence him then, perhaps we would not be in this pickle we seem to have found ourselves in."

"Do not blame yourself Albus, there is no way you could have seen anything of this extent coming. Besides, if it weren't the Dark Lord you know there would be another unhinged power crazy witch or wizard with a desire to rule the entire world. Bellatrix seems like she would be more than willing to fill in for him."

"Yes, I suppose there will always be someone we must fend off. I almost fear what will happen once we defeat Voldemort. I don't know what I would do with my life then."

A weak chuckle came from Severus, which very shortly turned into a hacking cough. Dumbledore cast a simple spell to help ease the pain of Severus' cough before speaking more, "Perhaps I should leave you to your sleep before Poppy burst in and turns me into a toad for aggravating you into a cough."

Severus groaned, "That infuriating woman will be the end of me, I swear it. All I need is some rest and I will be perfectly fine."

"Still, it would be best for us to allow her to assist you in your recovery. I have given your student the rest of the day off-"

"What on earth for Albus? She has much to learn and very little time with which to do so. She should be studying as much as she can."

"Goodness Severus you must learn patience. If you had allowed me to continue to speak you would have heard me say that I believe she intends to spend her time studying. I thought you might be proud of her for taking that initiative."

When Severus spoke next it was uncharacteristically quiet, "She was here, wasn't she?"

"She only just stepped in the door Severus. The most she was able to tell about your condition was that you appeared to be violently ill. I decided to leave the explanations up to you should you wish to share with her the reason behind your ailments. As of now, for all she knows you could merely be having a very bad burst of allergies."

Severus grunted unenthusiastically in lame acknowledgment of Dumbledore's words before Dumbledore exited the room, leaving Severus at the mercy of Poppy and her health care.

**BREAK**

Laurel sat in the Library next to Pippa bent over a large pile of potions books studying. Ten days had passed since she found Severus a pitiful mass in his bedroom and the man had avoided her like the black plague since. He still remained in the classroom as they both went about their work separately, but he would arrive after her, and leave before she had finished. This, of course, left little time for them to have any type of interaction.

She tried not to feel hurt, after all, it's not like they were friends or anything, but it still hurt to know that someone was avoiding you, whatever the reason may be.

"So the Sneezewort goes in after the scurvy-grass, then you stir three times to the left. Let sit until the potion is a deep blue color before adding the lavage-"

"Lovage."

Startled out of her furious studying, Laurel looked up at Pippa, "What?"

Pippa, still casually flipping through her user's manual for a toaster oven replied, "It's pronounced lovage sweetie."

Laurel stared at her in disbelief, "Who the hell cares how exactly it's pronounced?"

"Well your dear potions master for one. I barely know the man myself, but that stick he seems to have up his arse makes him seem like the type who might care about pronunciation quite a bit."

Laurel whimpered pathetically and banged her head down into the pile of books before her in defeat. "He can be lenient sometimes..." At Pippa's look of disbelief she rushed for an example. "Once he didn't even notice I added an ingredient a few seconds late." She cringed as she remembered what had happened just a few seconds after that incident, "At least, until the potion imploded. You're right though, I guess I'll just have to study more."

The mischief flaming in Pippa's eyes warned Laurel she was up to no good. "You can study later. Right now we are going to have a girls night out, whether you like it or not."

That got Laurel's full attention. Her head shot off of the pile of books as she looked at Pippa with wide eyes. "Oh no. No! You will not draw me into your monkey business. I need to study. The students are arriving tomorrow night and I'm nowhere near ready for their arrival."

"Oh Pish. Who cares if you don't know every little piece of information about potions before the students arrive?" Before Laurel could get in a reply Pippa continued. "If you say 'Professor Snape' I swear I will kick you in the shins. That damned instructor of yours is a slave driver, I swear." Without another word Pippa brought out her wand and with a few light switches the pile of books Laurel had been reading vanished.

"What the hell?" Laurel protested loudly, swatting Pippa on the arm, "Why did you do that? Where did you put them all?"

Rubbing her abused arm tenderly Pippa said, "Secrets, secrets my dear. And I did that for an almost pathetically cliché reason. I needed a bargaining chip in order to make you spend the night with me and force you to actually have a good time for once! Here's the deal, if you will spend the rest of the night with me, and at least attempt to have fun, I promise your dear textbooks will be returned to you unharmed."

Sulking, Laurel glared at the small woman in front of her, "And if I don't?"

Laurel could not help but be reminded of the Cheshire cat at the grin that appeared on Pippa's face. "Trust me when I say you really do not want to find out. I can be awfully creative when the occasion calls for it."

Her shoulders shrugged over in defeat Laurel sighed, "I guess you're not really going to give me any other choice, are you?" Pippa shook her head happily, "Well the, what's on the schedule for tonight?"

"Well, this was kind of a spur of the moment thing, so I don't really have anything special planned, however I do have this curious muggle drink I have wanted to try for a while. During one of my many excursions into muggle London a man recommended it to me. I believe he called it Vokad."

Laurel blanched, "Vodka. It's a type of alcohol popular in Russia."

Pippa clapped her hands giddily, bounding up and down in place like a child. "Marvelous! I had no idea it was alcohol! The man, he called himself Angelo, told me it would make my worries go away, and convince me I was the most amazing person at any party. I thought maybe it was some strange type of drug muggles had created, but alcohol will be much more exciting!"

Laurel hardly shared Pippa's sentiments. The last time she had alcohol she was in her last Semester at college, and had been persuaded by a good friend to have a day of fun before finals. To make a long story short she drank much more than she was expecting to, and woken up outside her dorm room in her underwear, a bonnet, and yellow tube socks. She had never really worked up the courage to drink after that day.

Apparently Pippa sensed Laurel's hesitance, "Oh come on! Pretty please? You have no idea what it's been like for me. The only person, besides your lovely self of course, who is willing to spend time with me is freaking Moaning Myrtle."

"Who on earth is that?"

"She's one of the ghosts here at the castle. She haunts one of the girl's bathrooms, and is the most horrible thing! All she does is whine and moan about this or that. She is an absolute bore! So you see, you are my only hope to have a decent time! It's pure torture for a social butterfly such as myself to be kept locked up in this empty castle. Take pity on my poor soul!"

When Laurel's expression did not relent Pippa tried a different tactic. "Don't forget about your books now! I have all of them in a very secret location I promise you they will meet a very untimely and horrifying end!"

Seeing no way out Laurel decided to count her losses, and followed a singing skipping Pippa out of the Library to Pippa's private dorms, promising she would make up for the lost time studying as soon as she earned her books back.

End Chapter Seven

A/N

So first I want to say that everyone should watch the TV show So You Think You Can Dance. I finally got around to watching the first auditions, and I saw one of my old friends from high school! She made it to the Vegas rounds, and I'm hoping that she makes it to the show because that would be so amazing.

Constructive Criticism is greatly encouraged! I want to improve, and enjoy working hard to do so. Then again, reviews in general are greatly appreciated.

Big hearty thanks to my beta evenstar101 and to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, (Squee!, goldilox8265, meeeeee, evenstar101, butterscotch please, Jaeda, and sunshinefarah). Cookies to all of you! And they are very yummy snickerdoodle cookies.

*Whoopsydaisy


	8. Forgetting

Disclaimer: In no way do I profit from writing this story or with help from the Harry Potter characters at all. I wish I did though. That would be pretty darn awesome.

**Chapter Eight: Forgetting**

"So he was running stark naked when he saw a group of old ladies walking near him. We all expected him to avoid them, but he waltzed right up to them and started to talk to them! He ended up walking them halfway back to where they were staying before he was finally picked up by muggle law enforcement for 'indecent exposure.' It was the most hilarious thing I have ever seen!"

The two girls giggled drunkenly, rocking back and forth against each other happily.

"Those poor women," Laurel managed to gasp out between laughs, "They must have been so embarrassed!"

Pippa snorted, waving her arms in front of her wildly, "Oh no it was not like that at all. If anything I think those women liked seeing him all naked and such. They probably hadn't seen a decent looking man with nothing on in a while, not to mention they seemed to enjoy the fact that Larry is quite well endowed, I am willing to admit."

"He must have been so embarrassed in the morning! I couldn't even begin to imagine the dread I would feel to wake up from what was supposed to be a night in with my friends to find out I had been arrested for public nudity."

"Actually, Larry being the fool of a man that he is, thought it was 'cool' that he had gotten arrested and thought he was a stud for getting a whole group of women to flirt with him."

Laurel laughed brightly. She had forgotten how much funnier things were when alcohol became involved. "Still! I would have been humiliated if I were in his position."

"Oh come off of your high horse. I'm sure you've had your fair share of awkward drunken experiences."

Laurel scrunched her eyes together dramatically, as though deep in thought. "Well I'm sure I don't remember them!" Clumsily she reached forward and grasped the neck of the bottle they had been drinking from. Raising it to her lips she threw her head back making a pitiful whining noise when nothing came out of the bottle. "Where did it all go?" She moaned, holding the empty liter up to inspect it. "S'no fair! I'm not even drunk yet." With a dramatic gasp she looked up to Pippa with wide frightened eyes. "I had to be drunk but now I'm not so am I not going to get my books back? That would make you such a meanie because it's your fault we don't have enough Vodka you know."

Pippa giggled at Laurel's antics. "Silly, I think you've had enough to earn your books back. You, my dear girl, are completely pissed."

"No I so completely am not!" Protested Laurel loudly, "I can even do the sober test thingy fine, just watch." She got up on unsteady legs, barely managing to stand fully before her wobbly legs gave out and she went crashing to the ground in a pile of giggles. "Fine, maybe I am a little tipsy. Just a little though." She said, holding two fingers closely together to demonstrate just how little she was drunk.

"You know who would be funny drunk?"

Laurel said the first name that came to mind, "Severus Snape!" Her words beginning to slur slightly as the alcohol began to fully take effect.

Guffawing loudly Pippa responded, "I doubt that man would be able to get drunk if he tried to. The alcohol would probably be too scared of him to do anything to him. Besides he is a complete bore, and always so discourteous to you."

Laurel looked at Pippa oddly, "He's not too horrible you know."

"Please Laurel; the man has been completely ignoring you for almost two whole weeks now with no logical explanation as to why. He has no manners and as far as I'm concerned this castle might be better off without him."

Part of Laurel wanted to agree with Pippa entirely, but even while drunk she felt a need to defend the man. "Dumbledore told me he has demons you know, and demons can be awfully scary and red and ugly. Maybe the scary ugly demons make him act that way, you know."

Pippa's eyes became uncharacteristically dark and dreary as she spoke her next words sadly, "Everyone has demons Laurel. He treats people badly because he's a bad person. Horrible actions don't suddenly become good because something bad happened in the past."

There was silence for a short while as Laurel just looked at Pippa, before Pippa continued to talk, the dark moment seemed to pass, and her voice was once more as bubbly as it usually was. "Be serious now! I think it would be funny to see that dreadful moaning Myrtle completely pissed."

Laurel frowned. "Moaning Myrtle? That ghost you talked about earlier? Can ghosts even get drunk?"

Apparently Pippa decided to ignore her, and instead leaned forward and began to whisper dramatically, as though revealing a deep dark secret. "I think we should go visit her. She'll probably be very funny right now, right?"

Normally Laurel would have thought about all of the possible consequences of that action. Two intoxicated females running around an ancient castle in the middle of the night can get into a lot of trouble. Right now, however, the only thing she could think about was how much fun it would be to see a miserable ghost.

Clutching to each other tightly for balance the two girls slowly made their way out of the common room on their trek towards Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. They tried to be quiet, really they did, but every so often one of the two would let out a noisy snigger, and the other would quickly shush them loudly, causing both to erupt in fits of giggles.

When they were about half way to where Myrtle resided a shrill hiss sounded as they rounded one corner. Piercing screams escaped both of the girls as they fell backwards flat on the ground. When all they saw in front of them was Mrs. Norris the girls began to laugh madly, before Laurel let out a gasp.

"Pippa we have to hide!" She turned to the girl she was talking to. "If Mrs. Norris is here Filch can't be too far behind! Quick now!"

The two girls crawled into the nearest corner as swiftly as their inebriated limbs would allow them, and made it just in time, as Filch rounded the corner soon after. He looked around the hall suspiciously, Mrs. Norris at his side hissing viciously.

"There there sweets," Filch comforted the cat, his voice sending shivers down Laurel's spine, "Where are those naughty people wandering around the castle late at night."

"Oh piss it all, this is ridiculous." Pippa stated loudly, drawing Filch's attention to the two girls huddled together.

"Pippa!" Laurel hissed.

"What! It's not like we can get in trouble or anything. We're not students Laurel; he has no ability to punish us."

Still, Laurel looked at Filch frightened as he stared down at them disapprovingly, "I can smell alcohol on you two. Have you been out drinking tonight?"

Pippa was the one to field the question scathingly. "Bugger off Filch. We're doing nothing wrong. Both of us were of age many years ago, and technically the school year hasn't even started yet. Go away and leave us to our fun." Childishly, Pippa couldn't help but stick her tongue out and blew a raspberry at Filch after she finished her sentence.

Indignantly Filch huffed. "Well I suppose we can see what Dumbledore thinks about all of this then." Then he stormed off in the direction of Dumbledore's office with Mrs. Norris following behind him.

Laurel gripped Pippa's arm tightly. "Oh now you've done it! Filch is going to get Dumbledore and we're both going to be in deep shit, you know that?"

Pippa merely laughed in response. "Then we will just have to find out way back to our own separate quarters before he finds us. Now," Pippa struggled to stand up, pulling Laurel along with her. "It is quite late, I suppose, and we should be getting sleep. Big day tomorrow with the students arriving and all, you know."

Laurel nodded. "Yes, yes. At least we don't have to actually do anything early in the morning. It's a blessing the students don't arrive until dinner."

Pippa smiled at Laurel. "This has been fun tonight Laurel, we really must do this more often. Though next time we should actually go out to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, meet some real, normal people, not like the old coots Dumbledore has working here."

"I suppose," Laurel began hesitantly. "It couldn't hurt for me to get out every once and a while, could it?"

"Yes indeed it would not hurt anything at all. Now, I trust you know how to get back to your own quarters."

Laurel nodded slowly and watched as Pippa made her way unsteadily down the hall, holding onto the wall for support so she wouldn't fall on the ground. Finding it difficult to walk by herself Laurel decided instead that it would be a good idea to crawl to her room.

It was slow going as she made her way down the halls, and she found herself glad that her limbs were entirely numb, because as red as her knees were she was sure they would be hurting terribly were she able to feel them at all.

After what seemed like a decade Laurel finally found herself outside of her room. She looked up at the painting of a unicorn, sitting cross legged right in front of it. "Hello unicorn. I don't suppose you have a name do you. Even if you did you would hardly be able to tell me. But you will be able to let me in now won't you pretty unicorn. All I need to do is tell you the password, isn't that right? Now let me see..."

She rapped on her head, a bit roughly, with one fist, trying to remember just what the password was. "Bumblebee? No, that wasn't it. I know it was something to do with an item... It was that one thing that I had to use that one time, right? No it was that other thing that I put in that one place, oh damn it all." Frustrated she hit her fists on the ground in a mini tantrum.

Laurel was so caught up in trying to remember her password that she didn't even notice the crisp sound of boots hitting the hard stone floor as someone walked up behind her.

**BREAK**

For the first time in nearly a month Severus Snape was in a relatively decent mood. He appeared to be making some serious headway on his variation of the dreamless draught potion for the first time in nearly a month, and even though he spent the majority of his days helping Ms. Slade he had been able to avoid any sort of conversation or close contact with her.

Currently he was walking back from an evening stroll when he ran across an irate Filch. Quickly he attempted to turn a corner to avoid the man but Filch unfortunately caught sight of him. "Snape!" he shouted, beckoning to the man while walking toward him as fast as the old, gangly man could move. "It's a good thing I've run into you. Perhaps you can help me with this predicament I am in."

Severus looked at the man before him blandly, "Unfortunately I am afraid that would be difficult for me to do. You have found me at the wrong time; I am on my way to do something rather important." He was actually on his way to sleep, but that wasn't something he was about to let Filch know.

"I am terribly sorry to bother you then; however I cannot help but feel you have a personal responsibility to help fix this matter. You see, your student is one of the people causing the problem."

If anything that knowledge made Severus more adamant to escape this situation as swiftly as possible. "She is an adult Filch, as well as a paid member of this staff. I am in no way accountable for her actions. If you have a problem with her actions I am hardy the one to complain to."

Without waiting for a response he hurried away down the halls. As he made the long trek towards the dungeons he found his thoughts once more drifting to his bizarre student. It seemed no matter how hard he tried to avoid her entirely she seemed to haunt his life. Even now, just moments after he had been congratulating himself for managing to avoid her so efficiently, the fates seemed to be conspiring against him. They seemed to enjoy putting him in situations where he had to interact with her.

'That damn woman is taking over my life so completely I can hear her voice in my mind even now. No,' He halted in his tracks abruptly, 'I think that's actually her talking.'

A little frightened at just what he would find Severus rounded the corner slowly, only to see Laurel hunched over in front of the painting that guarded her room, banging her fists on the ground repeatedly. Vaguely amused at her actions he walked closer to her. "Having a little trouble with something?"

No matter how much Severus wanted to avoid the girl, he never could miss an opportunity to poke fun at someone who seemed to be having a hard time.

Laurel turned around so quickly that she almost fell over entirely, quite a thing to accomplish when one is already sitting on the ground. Looking up at the tall man with slightly crossed eyes she garbled out loud, "You! What the hell are you doing here?"

His eyebrows rose almost to his hairline as a smirk found its way onto his face. "You are completely pissed, aren't you?"

Laurel sputtered absurdly, "I'm no way drunk at all. I'm just," She fumbled for the right words, "In an altered state."

"Are you now? That altered state wouldn't have happened to be brought on by alcohol now, would it?"

Eyes furrowing in anger Laurel pointed one accusing finger in what she believed to be his direction, though it ended up pointing more to his left. "This is copml- cmop- all your fault, so don't you be disorc- dicso- rude to me like Pippa says you always are." Her world spun as words became more difficult to think of and pronounce. "I think you're not too bad but Pippa says I'm wrong."

His eyebrows raised higher than he ever thought possible as he heard that, but the sarcastic words that came out of his mouth seemed to ignore how he though. "This is all very interesting; however you should probably be getting to sleep. You appear to be on the verge of passing out entirely."

Crawling onto her hands and knees she tried to stand as she continued to talk, "I was trying before you came. The unicorn hates me. It doesn't like the words I say so it isn't letting me in."

Severus moaned miserably. "Do you mean to tell me you have forgotten your password?"

"My password is my password and Dumbly had no right to tell you it jerk face."

Ignoring the inebriated girl next to him Severus tried the password Dumbledore had set when the girl first came here, unsurprised, but still annoyed, when it did not work. "Stupid girl, if you're going to actually change your password it would be wise to remember it."

Indignantly, "I didn't want to change it, but Pippa insisted I did. She said it would be funny, but I don't quite remember what was funny but it must have been funny or she wouldn't have said it was funny. That makes sense!" Feeling proud of herself Laurel grinned.

"Where exactly is Ms Russell then? I'm assuming she is aware of your password since you have insinuated she is the one who chose it for you."

Laurel sat straight up and pointed one finger in front of her. "Forward!" She shouted before losing her balance and falling over sideways.

Severus looked the way she was pointing. "So her residence is down this corridor then?"

Laurel shrugged halfheartedly from her hunched over position on the floor, "Ionno, but when she went back to her room she was walking forward so that's the direction her room should be in, right?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose Severus tried to gather all of the patience that he could to deal with the drunken fool. "Just try and remember Laurel. What exactly did Pippa tell you the password was?" He leaned over and grasped her by the shoulders. "The sooner you remember it the sooner it is you can be wrapped up all warm and comfy in your bed. Doesn't that sound nice?" He attempted a soothing voice, talking as he would to a child.

Laurel nodded, "Comfy sleep sounds nice."

"Marvelous. Now all you need to do is remember the password. You can do that, I know you can."

Laurel puffed out her chest proudly, "Yes, yes I can! I'm smart and know things so that's no problem." She scooted away from Severus towards the unicorn painting, and leaned against the wall closing her eyes with a loud sigh.

Panicking slightly, Severus said, "What on earth are you doing?"

One eye opened slightly before closing again. "I'll study potions after a little shut eye I swear. I's just a little tired now."

Now in full panic mode Severus ran up to her and began to shake her violently. "No, no! Laurel you are not allowed to go to sleep until you tell me what Pippa said the password was. Laurel? Laurel! Damn blasted woman." He leaned back and contemplated his options as he looked at the unconscious girl before him.

There was always the choice of leaving her there. How many threats could there be in Hogwarts at this time of the year? As though sensing his heartless thoughts the unicorn painting snorted and whinnied loudly, hoofing the ground violently.

He glared at the portrait. "Well I don't suppose you have any better ideas, unless you want to open up for me so I can carry her to her own bed. No? Oh my, how terribly surprising." His lip curled in disgust as he realized how ridiculous he must look.

Surprisingly Severus did find himself a little concerned for the girl. After all, he had known her for less than a month and this was the second time she had passed out. It couldn't be healthy.

Still, there was now little choice as to what he could do with the girl. He obviously could not leave her lying here, if only because he was sure that damnable unicorn would stalk him throughout the castle until he returned to help the girl. The only other option he saw would be to take her to his own quarters.

For the second time Severus lifted the unconscious female into his arms. She reeked of alcohol. That fact in and of itself did not surprise Severus, but it was the fact that it did not smell like firewhiskey that befuddled him. Then again, she had been with that Russell woman, and who knows what kind of things that girl has stored in her rooms. Goodness knows Severus hoped he would never find himself given the opportunity to find out.

He knew he could go find Dumbledore and drop the girl off with him, but honestly even he wasn't heartless enough to wake the kind old man for something so simple. So, he made the rest of the journey to the dungeons with the girl in his hands.

He laid her down gently on his bed, and decided he would rather leave her in her own clothes than face her wrath should she wake to find he had changed her clothes. After covering her with his dark blankets he rested one hand on her hair, cupping her head gently. He looked at her sadly once more before walking in the opposite direction to sleep on the couch.

That night was one of the few that Severus slept peacefully, no nightmares to speak of.

**End Chapter Eight**

A/N:

Well I hope you enjoyed it! Constructive criticism is always loved.

Big hugs go out to my beta, evenstar101, and everyone who reviewed the last chapter, (evenstar101, your mom, butterscotch please, Almost Harmless, Squee!, goldilox8265, sunshinefarah, Istani, and meeeeeee)

*Whoopsydaisy


	9. Classing Up

Disclaimer: *See chapter one. ;)

**Chapter Nine: Classing Up**

When Laurel woke up her first realization was that she still had all of her clothes on. 'Thank god.' She thought. After she determined that she did appear to be in a bed she did her customary "morning after a night out" systems check. She wiggled all of her toes and fingers, making sure that all of her extremities were still fully attached. Sensing no serious damage had occurred she yawned loudly and stretched the sleep out of her aching limbs.

'No headache so far,' she thought sleepily, 'but I don't really think I've completely sobered up yet. Damn, Pippa never even gave me my stupid books back.'

Her eyes blinked open and closed quickly as she hid her face in black blankets to hide from the bright light of the room. 'Wait,' she thought, as she sat up abruptly, 'I have a green comforter!'

Her eyes watering with the pain of remaining open in the bright light she looked around her. She was in a room she had only seen briefly once before, a room with cold stone walls, a room that had more books than it was right for one person to own, a room that belonged to Severus Snape.

"Shit." She thought out loud. She had admitted to herself, on several occasions that she found her tutor attractive, but she never thought it would be anything she would ever act on, even while heavily intoxicated. Beginning to hyperventilate she ran one hand through her hair, which had somehow escaped the rubber band that had held it in place last night. Consoling herself with the fact that she was still fully clothed, she made her way precariously out of the bed.

Her mind still slightly fogged by the alcohol she made her way to the door that she knew led to his classroom. As soon as she opened the door she was greeted by a deep baritone voice. "I see you have awakened. It's surprisingly early considering the state you were in last night."

Laurel found herself entirely grateful that Severus possessed a soothing baritone of a voice. Her college roommate has an irritating whine of a voice which made the few mornings after Laurel indulged in alcohol very painful.

Taking more steps into the classroom nearer to Severus, who was sitting at his desk concentrating intently on some papers, she murmured her response with a tired, husky voice. "I usually wake up obnoxiously early after a night out. What time is it exactly?"

"Just after seven o'clock."

Laurel found herself frustrated with the way the man would barely even look at her. For god's sake she had spent the night in his bed, and Laurel has no guess as to what had transpired before she had fallen asleep. Rubbing one arm awkwardly she began to speak once more, reluctant to admit she couldn't recall the majority of the previous night, but exceptionally curious as to what had actually taken place. "So, last night was rather interesting wasn't it?"

Amused eyes found hers, "We didn't have sex."

She was shocked at his bluntness, but had to admit she appreciated it as relief flooded her body. "Well now, that's a good thing I guess." Realizing he was obviously very aware she did not remember anything involving him last night she felt more confident in her next words. "If you don't mind me asking, how did I end up in your bed?"

This time he turned his entire chair to face her. She wasn't sure if he had ever paid her this much attention before. "I found you in front of your portrait on the verge of losing consciousness. Seeing as you have changed your password I had little choice but to bring you to my own quarters until you woke."

She almost felt bad for even thinking he had taken advantage of her intoxication. "Thanks for that. It probably wouldn't have been too much fun to wake up on the floor."

"No indeed. Now it would probably be best for you to-" Laurel never got to find out what he thought it might be best for her to do, however, as the door to the classroom swung open violently revealing Pippa.

Her eyes locked on Severus Pippa began "Snape! Have you seen-" she broke off abruptly as she caught sight of Laurel. Relief obvious on her face Pippa ran up to Laurel gripping her in a tight hug. "Oh thank Merlin you stupid, stupid girl. The last think I remember was we got caught by Filch and then everything else has been lost! Do you have any idea at all how frightened I was when I went to your room this morning only to find you weren't there? I thought Filch had gotten upset and fed you to the giant squid or something."

Realizing, for the first time, just where she had found her friend, Pippa looked at Laurel slyly, "Are you still wearing your clothes from last night?" When Laurel blushed a devious grin appeared on Pippa's face, "Did you spend the night here?" She looked at the professor still in his chair, "What do you have to say for yourself Snape, hmm?"

"I see no reason why I must account for the actions of Ms. Slade."

Pippa rolled her eyes dramatically, slapping her forehead with her open palm. "Of course, how silly of me, why on earth would you have to explain to me why your student apparently spent the night in your quarters."

"Ms. Slade is an adult, Ms. Russell, and I personally do not see any reason for either of us to explain the circumstances which transpired resulting in Ms. Slade remaining here for the night."

Laurel wanted to slap the man. Earlier he had been more than happy to be embarrassingly blunt. Now, he seemed to be enjoying ambiguity, leaving Pippa to think of her own circumstances. Deciding she would step in before Severus dug the hole any deeper Laurel began to talk. "It's nothing really Pippa. I had trouble getting into my room last night and Severus found me. Instead of leaving me there he brought me back here." She glared at Pippa, who was still smiling, forcefully she said, "He was a perfect gentleman."

Laurel wasn't really sure who looked more shocked at that statement, Severus or Pippa; however Pippa was the first to recover. With slightly upturned lips she spoke, "Well that was very nice of him, wasn't it." Facing Laurel fully she spoke to her. "Now I'm sure dear Snape here has some work he must be getting to. We should really be on our way."

Pippa grabbed one of Laurel's arms and practically dragged her from the classroom. As soon as they were out of the room Pippa grinned slyly once more, "There now, isn't this much better? Now that we're away from the big nasty you should have no problem telling me everything that happened last night!"

Yanking her arm free of Pippa's grip she sighed, exasperated, "I wasn't lying about anything Pippa, nothing happened last night. Scouts honor."

"Okay, first of all I sincerely doubt you are a scout. Second, I doubt you actually remember anything of last night yourself. All you know is what Snape told you. For all you know you could have been up all night wrapped in a passionate embrace with your potions tutor. Merlin you are a naughty girl!"

"I woke up with my clothes on and everything and I see no way in which Severus would benefit from lying to me." The inevitable headache caused by her indulgence last night beginning to appear Laurel rubbed the bridge of her nose in a slight attempt to fend it off. Glaring at Pippa, who for all intensive purposes appeared to be fine, Laurel said, "You appear to be gallingly chipper this morning. Why is it you aren't suffering like I am? It's not fair really."

Pippa looked at her curiously, "I used a simple hangover potion this morning. I usually keep a few around just in case. I was a little worried it wouldn't work with a hangover caused by muggle alcohol, and you have no idea how thankful I was when I discovered it did. I would have thought Snape would have given you one, but you're free to have one of mine if that isn't the case."

Laurel forced herself to think before she spoke. The idea that drinking some liquid would cure her of this headache sounded miraculous, however Dumbledore had said that potions would likely not affect her, and Pippa, as she had arrive after Laurel, was not aware Laurel appeared to be immune to magic. Not sure if that was something Pippa should know she averted her eyes and tried to speak convincingly, "I've never really liked to take those, you know I'm the one who drank too much and this is my punishment."

Thankfully Pippa seemed to buy it as she laughed, "That is one of the silliest things I've ever heard Laurel, you are one strange girl. To each his own I suppose, though just so you know, you are always welcome to any one of my potions should you need it."

Laurel had to smile at the gesture, however useless it was. She didn't even have to act as she expressed her gratitude "That's very nice of you to offer Pippa."

Linking arms with Laurel, Pippa grinned, "Think nothing of it! It's something I would offer to any friend of mine." Arms linked the two friends walked into the Great Hall.

The rest of the day seemed to pass in a blur for Laurel. She wasn't sure if it was the fact that she had a splitting headache and didn't want to remember the achy, nauseous mess she was all day, or just the fact that so much seemed to happen in such a small amount of time.

Just after breakfast Laurel and the rest of the staff met for a quick overview of what would transpire during the day. After receiving her books back from Pippa she found some time to study before everyone was gathered to greet the students.

After weeks of nothing but empty hallways to see the swarms of children who entered the halls was overwhelming. They were loud, obnoxious, and reminded her why she never planned on having children. Still, she supposed they might not always be this bad. After all, they were likely very excited to see their friends after a long summer away from them.

The sorting hat was the most amazing part of the night. Laurel supposed that after all of the things she had seen recently nothing should be surprising, and yet when the hat began to sing she had been entirely shocked. Minerva had been kind enough to explain the sorting process and the different houses the children were placed in. Although Laurel found the whole process slightly inane, and could only see it breeding animosity between the students, she supposed they had their reasons.

Whatever reason the next day arrived sooner than she knew, and she found herself, at an early six o'clock in the morning, sitting in the potions classroom waiting for the first class to arrive, a class of sixth year students from the houses Slytherin and Gryffindor.

Laurel sat in the front of the room, in her own chair next to Severus' desk, as the bleary eyed students filed in sporadically. When the room was mostly filled Severus whisked into the room dramatically from his own quarters, dark cape billowing behind him spectacularly.

While Severus had never had the kindest of demeanors, she could tell immediately when he stepped into the room that he transformed when he taught. He stood taller with confidence, or possibly arrogance, and he seemed to have an eternal sneer on his face as he looked out at the students before him. Essentially the man was intimidating.

His voice dry he addressed his students. "I suppose I will have to trust that over the summer you have not forgotten _everything _you have learned. We will start off with a simple Calming Draught. I trust one of you will be capable of telling me the process by which the Calming Draught will be made."

Most of the students bent their heads over their desks and began rifling through their books immediately. One girl in particular, a girl with heavy brown hair and an eager face, didn't even open her book, but instead raised her hand high, wiggling the fingers rapidly as an added affect. Laurel expected Severus to call on the girl raising her hand, but was surprised when he ignored her almost completely.

Instead Severus turned his head to the other side of the room and called out, "Mr. Malfoy, would you be able to take us through the process?"

A boy with platinum blond hair, whom she assumed was the son of the man she had met in Diagon Alley, spoke up with a cocksure voice. "Four drops of Glumbumble fluid should be added to two liters of boiling water, and stirred in a clockwise direction for thirty seconds. The solution should be allowed to sit until it is a vibrant green color before adding five nettles that have been crushed to a fine powder. Immediately after one Jobbernoll feather should be added. Stir the potion twice to the left, three times to the right, and five more times to the left before covering to let sit. It should be effective any time after one hour of sitting, but should not be bottled until it has been allowed to cool for at the very least twelve hours."

Laurel's head swarmed with all of the information the boy rattled off. She remembered reading briefly about the Calming Draught, and could remember that both the Glumbumble fluid and Jobbernoll feather were key ingredients, however she wouldn't have been able to say if the boy was correct as far as the details were concerned.

For his part Severus seemed content with the boy's answer. "Ten points to Slytherin Mr. Malfoy, however there was one detail which you were mistaken about. Would anyone happen to know what detail Mr. Malfoy was mistaken about?"

Laurel stood shocked as once more Severus looked around the room, ignoring the brown haired girl who seemed to know the answer. Laurel decided she would not sit by as Severus taunted the student in such a way. Pointing to the girl raising her hand, Laurel spoke up, "You there, what is your name?"

Looking at her for the first time the girl lowered her arm slowly as she answered, "Hermione Granger."

"Well Ms. Granger, would I be correct in assuming you know where exactly Mr. Malfoy made his mistake?"

The girl began quietly, her voice gaining confidence as she spoke of the facts. "Directly after the Jobbernoll feather is added the solution should be allowed to simmer for a minute before stirring. That's all really."

Laurel nodded and looked at Severus, expecting him to be pleased with what she assumed was the correct answer. She was surprised at the venom she saw on his face.

He was furious.

She could almost see his jaw tick as he ground his teeth together in anger. Resisting the urge to scoot her chair further away from him Laurel sank into her chair. Stubbornly facing his class he spoke, "That is correct Ms. Granger. Students, if you would gather and prepare the proper ingredients I ask you to excuse us from the class temporarily as I must have a word with my," He paused a nasty sneer on his face, "assistant."

Severus left the classroom into the hallway outside and Laurel followed, as she was expected to do. Almost as soon as the door to the classroom closed behind her Severus rounded on her, looming over her threateningly.

"What on earth did you think you were doing?"

Severely afraid of the man in front of her she spoke in a timid voice. "You were acting unjustly and I felt it was my duty to-"

He cut her off with a vicious snarl, "Your duty? As far as I am concerned you have no duty during class time. That is my classroom, and sitting inside are my students. Mine. Not ours, not yours, mine. You are a guest in my classroom and you will respect me and I strongly suggest you never undermine my authority such as you did today. I will teach my class unhindered by your presence."

Laurel was beginning to get angry. How on earth did she end up being the one getting a lecture? Hands on her hips she frowned at the man before her and spoke with more confidence than before. "I'll allow you to teach your class 'unhindered by my presence' so long as you are a fair and decent teacher."

"If you are referring to the fact that I gave Malfoy points for his answer and failed to do so for Granger I believe that was justified, seeing as Malfoy provided the majority of the answer and I myself did not actually call upon Granger."

She leaned in towards him trying to determine whether or not he actually knew what he did. "You were humiliating that girl, Severus, and I hardly believe that is decent teaching."

A slight frown appeared on his face. "Ms. Granger is more than capable and willing to provide me with the answer to any question that I ask. If I allow her to answer every question the other students would not learn the information as readily as they would were they involved in the reiteration of the facts during class."

"Bull shit. You completely ignored her Severus. The least you could have done was acknowledge she knew the answer, and explained you felt one of the other students should answer it. Instead you disregarded her entirely leaving myself, and most probably the entire class, with the feeling that you hold a great personal dislike for her. I cannot begin to imagine the amount of ridicule from the students that could open her up to."

His eyes hardened as he firmly set his jaw, "I will teach my class as I see fit."

"Fine! Just so you know though, as long as you 'teach' like you did today expect more interruptions from me. I may sit by quietly and do all of the ridiculous tasks you ask of me, but I will not stand by idly and watch while you treat your students unreasonably." Laurel let out a small sigh and shook her head sadly. "Honestly, I thought you would be above things like that." For the first time since they met Laurel turned her back and walked back into the classroom, leaving a stunned Severus behind her.

For his part Severus merely stood there, taken aback in shock. He knew it was ridiculous, but she had honestly made him feel bad for the way he had acted. Where teaching was concerned Severus was very serious about it. He may not always like the students, but he was dedicated to making even the most miserable of students into all that they could be. To have her insult his teaching was a firm blow.

However Severus did have to admit, he had his reasons for treating Hermione, and Gryffindors in general, poorly. He was, after all, supposed to be one of the Dark Lord's most powerful supporters. There were many eyes and ears around Hogwarts, and if any suspicious behavior on his part was spotted, even if it was as little as giving a Gryffindor a kind word, he had little doubt that it would be reported to Voldemort immediately. He shuddered to think what the consequences might be.

Seeing as he was alone in the hallway Severus allowed a slight smile as he thought of Laurel scolding him. Severus felt the scolding was unfair, though he was not about to explain to Laurel why, but he had to admit he was glad to discover the girl had some sort of a backbone after all. It has been weeks since she entered the castle and the entire time she had been tiptoeing around him agreeing to his every demand. It was as though she was afraid to show that she could think for herself.

Severus decided he liked this fiery side to her personality. Her face had become flustered as she scolded him, and her voice gained confidence. It was a pleasant change from the timid mouse that he had been sharing company with recently. Personally Severus was looking forward to continuing to act as he had for all of his time here at Hogwarts, and was debating torturing the Gryffindors a little bit more, if only so he could catch glimpses of the fireball that had confronted him just a few moments earlier.

After sufficiently wiping any hints of a smile off of his face, Severus opened the heavy doors, and entered the classroom once more. He paced quickly to his desk he looked around the room, which was filled with his students working on preparing the ingredients for the potion they would be making. Out of the corner of his eye he risked a glance as Laurel, and saw her sitting in her chair, jaw clenched and arms crossed tightly, with a glowering look on her face. He had to work hard to suppress the smile threatening to find its way onto his face.

"As soon as you believe your ingredients have been prepared sufficiently you may begin to brew your potion." He took his seat and found the papers he would need for the day's work. "Should you require any assistance Professor Slade will be available to field any questions."

He didn't even have to look at her to know that she even as he spoke Laurel was rifling through her book, looking for the page that described the Calming Draught, determined to be ready for any questions the students should have.

**End Chapter Nine**

A/N:

Thanks much to my beta, evenstar101, and everyone who reviewed the last chapter, (sunshinefarah, Jaeda, goldilox8265, meeeee, Squee!, Almost Harmless, Command2Conquer, Sarah, butterscotch please, Istani, and OniSaruKaraJigoku). Thanks also to the people who put the story on story alert. :) It's good to know that people are enjoying this.

As always constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.


	10. Brewing Trouble

Disclaimer: I own Harry Potter in my dreams. Shucks.

**Chapter Ten: Brewing Trouble**

"I can't believe that man!" Laurel barked as she walked down the hallways, Pippa at her side. "You should have seen how he acted in class. It was like he was a completely different person. He absolutely embarrassed the Gryffindors, even if they did something right, and treated the Slytherins like they were gods on earth. That's hardly the way to effectively run a classroom."

Pippa nodded sagely. "I told you that man is nothing but trouble. You would do well to keep your distance."

Ceasing her tirade for a moment, Laurel looked at Pippa curiously, "You really hate him, don't you. I mean, sure, the man seems to have a talent to be completely insufferable at the drop of a hat, but he really isn't that bad most of the time."

"Everyone knows that Severus Snape is trouble Laurel, it's just a fact. Then again, I suppose you being from America and all, you probably haven't heard any of the stories about him, have you?"

Laurel hated to admit it, but she'd always had a weakness for juicy gossip, "Stories?"f

Pippa began whispering, as though this were a forbidden topic. "The word going around is that Snape is a Death Eater."

Laurel scoffed. "That sounds completely ridiculous. I wasn't even aware there was a way you could eat death, but even if you could I doubt Severus does. What possible advantage could it give him?"

Pippa giggled lightly, albeit a tad timidly. "Goodness, you Americans really are kept out of the loop aren't you? A Death Eater is what we call the followers of you-know-who."

"No, I really don't know who."

Sighing, "The Dark Lord Laurel. No one really says his name, there's some bad jue jue around it or something."

"Right, and he's bad?"

Rolling her eyes Pippa answered, "No, we just call him the Dark Lord because he hands out free owls. Of course he's bad! No one really knows how many people he's killed, but he's one of the most powerful wizards in the world. Probably only Dumbledore and maybe a handful of others could even give him a run for his galleons."

"So, Severus is one of the followers of this big bad guy?"

Pippa chewed on her bottom lip nervously, "Well, no one really knows for sure, but a lot of people think he is."

"I think it's ridiculous. Why on earth would Dumbledore hire someone who works for his enemy?"

"Like I said, there's no proof that he works for you-know-who, but personally I think Dumbledore is keeping him here to 'keep his enemies closer' if you get what I'm saying."

Her mind reeling with everything that had just been revealed Laurel walked into the Great Hall. She walked down the aisle without even watching her step. Luckily she made it to her seat okay, and once there she could hardly focus on what she was eating.

Why was it no one told her about this Dark Lord character? Apparently he was sort of a big deal around here and yet no one had even bothered to mention him to her. She had to wonder briefly if this bad guy might be the reason Dumbledore wanted her to keep her ability quiet. Then again, it's not as though her talent would be particularly useful, unless someone planned to use her as a human shield, and that did not seem like it would be very practical on the battlefield. Whatever their reason was they had no right to keep from her the fact that there was a crazy man trying to kill as many people as he could.

On the topic of Severus Laurel was no longer quite sure what to think. She didn't quite believe that he was one of those Death Eaters, but where would the gossip have come from? If there's one thing Laurel knows it's that rumors always has a root, and more often than not if one stays around for long enough there's going to be some truth to it.

Still, she could not bring herself to dislike the man. Being furious or disappointed in him was one thing, but from all Laurel had seen he was a decent man. He had no idea whatsoever how to treat students fairly, but everyone had their faults.

She had to admit that she found the man attractive. Laurel had tried chalking it up to that deep smooth baritone voice of his and the fact that he had an accent, but something about his physical appearance drew her in. Traditionally speaking he was not an attractive man with his large slightly hooked nose overpowering his other features, and shoulder length dark hair usually looking unkempt. Perhaps it was his foreboding demeanor, making him seem dangerous. She had an inkling it had something to do with his shoulders. Laurel always had a weakness for attractive shoulders, though most people found that weird, and his seemed particularly delicious. Most probably Laurel would never know exactly why she was attracted to Severus Snape.

Laurel was jolted out of her thoughts by the screeching of a chair next to her. She looked up to see the very man she had been thinking about.

Remembering she was mad at him, she scowled, "What are you doing here?"

One corner of his mouth twitched slightly, "I would think it was obvious I am here to eat."

"You know what I mean. Why are you sitting next to me? You are hardly someone I want to talk with right now."

Piling food on his plate, Severus continued to answer, appearing nonchalant. "You may not wish to converse with me, however I believe your opinion on that matter might change when I tell you of the plans for after classes end."

"Hardly likely."

"Perhaps it might help if I mention you will be allowed to brew a potion."

Laurel, who had been chewing on a piece of sausage, stopped in mid chew. Too eager to finish chewing and swallow Laurel spoke around the meat in her mouth. "Seriously? This isn't some cruel prank or something is it?"

"No, I have told you the complete truth. Madame Pomfrey has requested that I brew some Warming Potion for her for the coming winter. Because the potion requires a month at the very least before it can perform efficiently I thought it might be best to brew it now."

"Warming Potion? That's used to cure mild cases of frostbite right? Why on earth would Pomfrey require something like that?"

Now there was a definite smirk on Severus' face, "Students commonly decide swimming in a freezing lake during the middle of winter is a good idea. Madame Pomfrey likes to be prepared."

Laurel nodded. "Alright, well now you've told me that. So you can move somewhere else now, right?"

"On the contrary it is that very reason that I must remain here. Should I allow you to brew the potion on your own today I must first discern whether or not you will be capable of brewing it."

Crossly, Laurel replied, "You will be right next to me, right? So if I have a question I'll just ask you. There, I'm prepared. Consider me capable."

Almost as though ignoring her completely Severus continued, "What is the first ingredient that you add."

Laurel had to think hard. She had only briefly looked over the Warming potion, as it was in the later part of her book; however she remembered it only had a few ingredients, powdered moonstone, dragon blood, and a snake fang if she remembered correctly. Unable to remember exactly which ingredient came first she took a guess. "Dragon blood." Hoping she sounded confident she crossed her fingers under the table and hoped for the best.

Clearly unimpressed, Severus spoke, "And how much is required?"

Frowning, Laurel gave up the front that she actually remembered the potion. "If you want me to know the every detail of a potion you should probably give me some warning first. It's hardly likely that I would have an entire book memorized in just a few weeks."

Looking quite proud, as though he had won some sort of contest, Severus spoke, "Five liters of dragon blood, at exactly ninety degrees Celsius. After Seven minutes of stirring clockwise add one gram of powdered moonstone. Drop the temperature to fifty degrees Celsius and add one snake fang. Bottle in an airtight container for at least one month, longer if you desire it to be more potent."

Under her breath Laurel muttered, "Well I'm sure I would be able to do that if I'd been studying potions for the past gazillion years."

If Severus did hear what she said, he ignored it completely. "After the last class leaves later today I request you remain in the classroom. We will begin brewing directly after the students leave. With all probability we will finish less than half an hour later and you will be free to do as you wish for the remainder of the night."

"Great, I guess that's a plan then. Now that we've solidified the meeting you can't back out of it, right?"

"I assure you I will not cancel our appointment."

Completely forgetting that she had been furious with him mere moments earlier Laurel smiled brilliantly at the man next to her. "I'll see you there then."

**Break**

When the last potions class of the day was finished Laurel squirmed restlessly in her seat. She never knew it took so long for students to leave a classroom. 'For God's sake,' she thought, twiddling her thumbs, 'How time-consuming is it to pack up a few bags? Really, they should have been out of here long ago.' During all of the classes for that day Laurel had been bent over her potions book studying the steps for the Warming Potion. She was certain she knew them all by heart now, and would prove to Severus that it is not a mistake to allow her to brew a potion.

After what seemed like ages the last student dragged himself out of the classroom, and Laurel jumped out of her seat. "They're all gone, so we can start now." Looking over to the only man left in the room she tried to look hopeful, "Right?"

With a flick of a wand the first two rows of desks disappeared and in their place stood two cauldrons on either side of a plain wooden table.

Laurel tried to hold back her shock at what he had done. "It never ceases to amaze me what you people can do with magic. It would be so convenient to be able to do anything you want with just a flick of a stick and a few muttered words."

"Perhaps, however magic does not come without a price. When you are given great power it must come with great responsibility."

Laurel had to grin. "I'm sorry, but did you just quote Spiderman?"

Severus raised one eyebrow in inquisition, "You have a man who is a spider?"

"Umm... no, it's a comic book. I guess you magical people don't have comic books do you. Spider man is a fictional superhero."

"And I quoted him?"

"Well, not directly really, but you got the gist of it." Walking up to one of the cauldrons Laurel moved around restlessly. "So, absurd references aside can we get to this whole brewing potions thing?"

"I suppose we may begin. Are you prepared with the first ingredient already?"

Laurel held up the proper amount of dragon blood and smiled cheerfully. The brewing of the potion took a short time, and happened without any irregular occurrences. Laurel's face brightened as Severus told her that her potion was 'satisfactory.' Somehow, she knew that was the biggest compliment she would ever get from him.

As they bottled the potions Laurel attempted a conversation. "So, do you have any plans for tonight?"

"If plans include preparing for tomorrows classes then yes, I suppose I do have plans."

Laurel smiled; the man never seemed to be short on sarcasm. "Do you know what potions we will be working on tomorrow? If it's alright with you I would appreciate knowing in advance so I can study the potion beforehand. Most of the students know how to brew potions before they come into class. How embarrassing would it be if they asked me a question and I couldn't answer it?"

When Severus merely smirked Laurel resisted the urge to smack him on the arm, knowing that doing so would probably spill the potion. She instead resorted to verbal abuse. "You are a gigantic ass you know that? You were probably waiting for that to happen all day today weren't you."

His smirk only grew wider, but he seemed to ignore her words. "Tomorrow the classes will be reviewing the potions that we made today. For the classes where it is applicable they will be testing their own potions, the other classes will be going over the uses and possible misuses of their potions."

Laurel finished bottling the last of her potion and handed it over to Severus so he could perform a charm to keep it airtight. "So basically since you already know what's going to happen in class tomorrow you don't have anything to do."

A frown marred Severus' features, "One can never be prepared enough for a class. I presume you already know the potions we will be reviewing, seeing as you spent the majority of each class studying them; however I believe it is also a reasonable assumption that you intend to return to your quarters to look over the potions for the rest of the night."

Laurel's face grew hot with her blush. "Well I was planning on a walk around the Hogwarts ground before I returned to my room."

"Of course you were. Seeing as we are finished here you are welcome to leave for your walk."

Laurel nodded and made her way towards the door leading to the hallway. As she pushed it open she looked behind her. Looking at the man still in the room she couldn't help but notice just how sad he looked. Placing the bottled and sealed potions on one of the many shelves in the room even his movements seemed old, worn, and tired. Remaining in the room Laurel closed the door, and began to walk towards Severus. She spoke quietly, unsure, "You know, since both of our plans for the night are really unnecessary, maybe we should spend a little bit of time together."

He looked at her in skepticism, "To what end?"

"I'm serious here. We've been working together for almost a month now, and we're going to be working together for quite a while after today. I just thought it might be good for us to get to know each other a little bit better. After all, I don't really know anything about you, and you know just as little about me."

After placing the last of the bottles on a shelf Severus turned to face Laurel completely. "I do not see why it might be necessary for us to know more about each other."

"Do you only do things when they are necessary?" Seeing the look on his face she knew he would answer with 'yes' so she didn't give him the chance, continuing to speak instead. "Alright, how about this, we'll make a bet. Would you be able to change something into a chess board or something like that?"

"I have my own Wizard Chess board. The rules are exactly the same as any muggle game would be, however the method of play is a little different."

"Alright then, here's my proposal. We play a game of chess. Anytime a piece is captured the person who captured it gets to ask the other a question which that person must answer."

"You really aren't making this situation sound any more ideal to me."

She threw her hands up in exasperation. "I haven't even finished yet! If I win the game I get to add my input into the class whenever I want." When his mouth opened in opposition she held her hand up to keep him from speaking. "However, if _you _are the winner, I will not interfere with the way you teach your classes." The words were difficult to say, however Laurel was confident she would win.

Apparently Severus was confident he would as well. "Those terms seem acceptable." He disappeared into his room briefly before reappearing with a chessboard in his hands.

He placed it on a table and put two chairs on either side. "Do you have a preference as to which color you wish to play?"

"I've always played the white pieces."

"Very well, I shall take the black then." After a short explanation as to how the pieces were moved the game was one. It was only a few turns before Severus was the first to capture one of Laurel's pieces, a pawn. Laurel watched in morbid fascination as her defenseless pawn was smashed into thousands of tiny pieces by Severus' castle.

"That's horrible! And people think American television condones violence. This game is more violent than any television show I've ever seen in America."

"If it helps Wizard Chess was originally developed by an American."

Laurel scoffed, "No, it really doesn't. This is completely beside the point. So what question is it that you want to ask me? Remember, it can be anything."

Strumming his fingers on the table Severus said, "What is something you enjoy doing in your free time? That is, besides pestering poor potions professors."

Laurel rolled her eyes at his sarcastic comment, but answered the question nonetheless, "I really enjoy watching musical theatre, though I haven't gotten many opportunities to see it live." She contemplated her next words a bit before deciding that it would be completely worth it. "Are all of your questions going to be this arbitrary?"

"I do believe you are required to capture one of my pieces before I am obligated to answer any of your questions."

Laurel stuck her tongue out childishly and blew a raspberry before making her move. This time, it was her rook that captured one of his pawns. Avoiding watching the poor pawn being smashed into bits Laurel asked her question. "Why did you decide to become the potions professor for Hogwarts?"

Severus seemed to consider the question briefly, "It really wasn't my choice. Originally I applied for the Defense against the Dark arts position, for reasons of my own. Seeing as the position was already taken, however, Dumbledore offered the Potions position. I had little choice to accept."

Laurel had to wonder what those reasons for applying were. Her conversation earlier that day with Pippa ran through her mind. 'Could it be that he stays here as a spy or something?' She shook her head slightly at that thought. She had said before that she did not believe Severus was one of those Death Eaters, and she would stick by that opinion. Still, she did have to wonder.

A few moves later Severus captured another one of her pieces. This time he asked, "Of these musical theatres which one do you enjoy the most."

"Pirates of Penzance." Laurel answered briefly. She couldn't help but think that this night would be ridiculously long if Severus didn't learn how to ask more interesting questions.

**Break**

At that same moment, two people met on a poorly lit path near Knocturn Alley. Both were engulfed in dark heavy robes which hid their appearance entirely.

"What do you have to report?" The first figure asked his voice dark and gravelly.

The second fidgeted nervously. "Nothing of interest appears to be occurring. Since my arrival things have been almost frighteningly dull."

The first crossed his arms, "That is unacceptable. They must be planning something. That's why you are there, to figure out just what it is."

"Truly I apologize for my failure."

"Apologies mean nothing. We need results, and if we do not get them from you perhaps we might find it necessary to replace you."

The second figure took a small step backwards, "Beyond all doubt I am doing the best I can. Dumbledore may play the fool, but that damned old coot is awfully good at keeping things hidden that he doesn't want to be found."

"Then you must find a way to discern whatever he is hiding. I don't care how you do it, but you need to discover anything and everything that is going on in the castle."

Wringing hands together the second figure continued, "I have many friends who I believe trust me, at least a little bit. I am almost certain that any one of them will confide in me should they see anything out of the ordinary."

"I for your sake I hope you are correct. You had better have more information for me the next time we meet."

"I assure you, I will."

The first figure let out a cruel laugh. "You had better. Remember, the Dark Lord does not take failure kindly." With a loud crack the figure apparated away abruptly.

The second figure walked slowly down the street, making his way to the portkey that would take him back to the Hogwarts grounds.

**End Chapter Ten**

AN: Tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. :)

Thanks a bundle to my wonderful beta evenstar101, and let's all give her some good luck and a thumbs up that her big move goes a bit better than it has been. Thanks also to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, (Squee!, Jaeda, goldilox8265, meeee, butterscotch please, your mom, sunshinefarah, Istani, Bobby's Baby Girl, siriuslvr24, and evenstar101). Thank you for taking the time to review you guys!

*Whoopsydaisy


	11. Selfish

Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with Harry Potter. *sad face*

**Chapter Eleven: Selfish**

Laurel was the next to capture one of Severus' pieces. "Alright, so this question might seem a bit unusual, but trust me, it is essential in learning about a person." Pausing for dramatic effect she resisted the urge to beat her hands on the table in a drum roll, "Dogs, or cats?"

"Neither."

Laurel blinked, "What kind of an answer is that? You have to choose one or the other."

"That is absurd since I would refuse to have either. Dogs cause such a ruckus, and would most probably end up destroying a good portion of the potions I make."

"So then you would choose cats?"

"Of course not, they are much more intelligent than dogs are, and their independence is surely refreshing, however the dreadful things make me sneeze something horrible."

Laurel leaned back in her chair and gaped at the man before her. Severus Snape, potions master extraordinaire, the man who has perfected the art of intimidation, was allergic to cats. It made him seem almost, well, human.

Laurel was so caught up in trying to understand what she had just learned that she barely noticed as he continued to talk, "Here at the castle I have a simple potion that reduces the majority of the effects, however if one of the creatures were to be living with me some side effects would be unavoidable. I would much prefer an owl myself. They are intelligent creatures that, for the most part, leave you the hell alone."

Laurel shook her head as Severus made his next move. On her next move Laurel was able to capture one of Severus' rooks, the first capture of a piece that was not a pawn. She grinned in triumph as she asked her next question. "If you could have any power you wanted, what would it be?"

"Isn't that sort of a redundant question? I am a wizard, after all, and as long as I don't mind breaking the rules a little bit I can do whatever I wish."

Laurel blushed hotly. "Oh yeah, I totally forgot you were magical for a second there." She truly had. Their conversation was so normal, so enjoyable, that she had forgotten the considerable difference between their two worlds. She struggled for a way to redeem herself from her embarrassing first query. "Let me change my question then, if you were a muggle, what power would you want?"

"Now the question is just absurd. In what possible circumstance would I be a muggle?"

Laurel could feel a headache coming on. "That's kind of the point of a hypothetical question Severus."

"Is this a good time to mention that I dislike hypothetical questions?"

"Just answer the question Severus." Laurel snapped shortly.

Severus grinned at her outburst. She was highly attractive when she became upset, but that wasn't something he should think about. Deciding to give her a break he answered her question. "I suppose I would want the ability to speak, read, write, and understand every language this earth holds."

Laurel tilted her head slightly. She was expecting something like super strength, or invincibility, but this answer was certainly a surprise. "Why is that?"

"Ah, ah, ah, you have to earn another question first."

Two moves later, she took a knight. "So then, why would you have that power?"

Severus frowned, wondering how on earth she kept on taking his pieces. Apparently she was actually good at chess. Reluctantly he answered the question. "It would be extremely useful. In my field of work research is essential, and a lot of the texts I am required to read are in different languages. To be able to read anything, anytime I want, without having to first find someone to decipher it for me would be wonderful."

"I suppose that makes sense, but wouldn't it be easier to just be all knowing or something? Then you would still know all of the languages, but you wouldn't have to read the texts since you'd always have all of the information."

"Perhaps, but then what would the point be? What is knowledge when you aren't forced to work for it? Knowledge is something you have to earn."

His words were so profound that Laurel really wasn't sure how to react to them. They didn't really sound like anything she ever would have expected the potions master to say. Instead of responding she merely smiled at him. The man was a better person than he let on.

In his next move Severus managed to capture another one of her pawns. Without putting any thought into it, Severus continued on his previous line of questioning. "Why exactly is this "Pirates of Penzance" your favorite musical production?"

Laurel could have sworn her heart stopped beating in her chest as soon as she heard his question. All of a sudden this game wasn't so fun. This wasn't a question that she wanted to answer. Deciding to answer truthfully, as she was a terrible liar, she tried to be as evasive as possible in her answer. Avoiding his gaze Laurel explained, "It was my mother's favorite. She took me to see it when I was young."

Severus sat up straight, suddenly interested in this game. She was a terrible deceiver, unable to meet his eyes when she wasn't even lying completely. He was very interested in knowing exactly what it was that she's trying to hide from him. Apparently her mother was deceased, thus the past tense, and he had to wonder on their relationship. He knew that there was more to the story, something that she didn't want him to find out. He asked her as much. "Why do I feel like that's not all there is to the answer?"

The glare Laurel gave him was heated. "Take your own advice Severus. I'm not required to answer another question until you capture another one of my pieces." Without another word she made her move.

Intrigued by the way this was turning out Severus made his next move, capturing another pawn even though it meant leaving his rook open to be captured. "Tell me the rest of the story."

Laurel's head throbbed and eyes began to burn with the beginning of tears as she heard his question. She wasn't even sure if it could be considered a question since it was more of a statement. She yelled at him in her head, calling him every obscene name that she had ever heard. What gave him the right to ask her this question? Surely it was obvious this was not something she wanted to talk about, and yet he just had to dig deeper.

Laurel contemplated lying, it would be so much easier on her, but she had always been a terrible liar, and it was obvious he would easily see through any deception she tried to use. Seeing no other choice she decided to tell him the story that held so much meaning to her.

When she spoke, she tried her hardest to keep her voice steady, and willed it not to crack. "When I was eight my mom told me I was old enough to finally go to the theatre. She made a big production out of it, buying me a new dress, making my hair all fancy, I felt like a princess. We ended up seeing Pirates of Penzance, and while I didn't really understand it at all at the time, I was fascinated by the bright lights and beautiful singing." A sad, nostalgic smile made its way onto Laurel's face as she remembered. "Ever since then, every time Pirates of Penzance would come into town we would go to see it. We were supposed to go for my birthday a few years back, but she died just a few days before the showing. I couldn't bring myself to go without her."

She couldn't look him in the eye. She'd never shared anything so personal with anyone, and she felt dirty, violated, that it had to come out in this way. This was her past, her secret and he had no right to force out an answer. Her lowered eyes focused on the hands clenched in her lap Laurel quickly made her next move, and captured Severus' rook. She was emotional, and angry that he had forced her to reveal something so personal, she wanted to make him know how it felt to have a question asked that you clearly didn't want to answer.

Later, she would regret it, but right now it felt like the right thing to do. Quietly she let the words come out of her mouth. "Are you a Death Eater?"

There was a deafening pause before Severus hissed dangerously, "What?"

Determination in her face she met his gaze, surprised at how much venom was in it. She tried to stay strong. He thought it was fine to ask her inappropriate questions; then she would do the same to him. "Are you a Death Eater? It's a simple question really. Pippa told me anyone magical should know what they are so I'm going to assume you don't need an explanation." Laurel was shocked at how snide her own voice sounded.

When Severus stood abruptly Laurel couldn't help but scoot her chair back in an effort to put some distance between them. He sneered at her viciously, his eyes flashing, as he stated, "I am loyal to Dumbledore. That is more than you need to know." With a flick of his wand the chess board disappeared. "I forfeit, so you win by default. Act however you wish in my class." His words should have been reassuring, but they left a cold hard feeling in the bottom of Laurel's stomach. Without another word Severus swept away to his own quarters at an irate pace, slamming the door loud behind him.

Staring at the spot Severus had just vacated, Laurel couldn't help but feel like she had made a gigantic mistake. Trembling Laurel got up from her own chair and slowly made her way out into the hallway. As she walked back to the room, the castle that had begun to become her home seemed cold cruel. It felt as though every one of the paintings were jeering, pointing at her, calling her names, telling everyone what a horrible person she was.

Laurel was thankful that she didn't run into anyone as she made her way back to her own room. Once there, she hopped in the shower, turning the water as hot as she could stand. It wasn't until then, scalding water coursing over her body that Laurel allowed herself to cry. Tears poured down her face indistinguishable from the water running from the faucet.

Kneeling on the ground of the shower Laurel held her face in her hands as she let out all the frustration, all the sadness that her last few moments with Severus brought. Not bothering to muffle her sobs, figuring the stone walls of the castle would keep the sound from traveling too far, she let out noisy sobs. When she found herself unable to cry anymore she turned off the water, and dried herself off with a towel, wiping away the tears from her face.

As she prepared for bed she tried to think logically, as that was what she was best at. She knew she didn't want to leave things the way they turned out last night, and desperately wanted things to go back to how they had been before she had asked that ridiculous question. The logic, however, was frustratingly difficult to come by. Eventually she settled on the fact that her only option was to apologize for the way she had acted, the things she had said, and hope that he would be willing to forgive her.

Laying in bed, all Laurel could do was stare at the ceiling, for every time she closed her eyes all she saw was Severus' face burning with anger, hate, and hurt.

**BREAK**

As soon as Severus closed the door to his chambers he slammed one clenched hand against the stone wall as hard as he could. Ignoring the pain, he pulled his hand back only to smash it back, letting out a primal yell of aggravation. His body shook with anger as he tried desperately to contain his emotions. Falling to his knees he pounded on the wall with all of his might ignoring when the sides of his hands began to crack and bleed.

He knew he shouldn't have pushed her, shouldn't have asked to hear anything more about her mom, about the things she was trying to hide, but he had wanted to know so desperately what could make this normally chipper, honest girl suddenly feel the need to conceal things from him. Sure, she didn't lie outright, though Severus had a feeling that was because she was a horrible liar. Laurel, however, had always been so shockingly honest that he was surprised she had attempted to hide anything, however indirectly she did it.

He had pushed her, and she had shoved right back at him. She used gossip against him, to hurt him. It didn't matter that the rumor was technically true, what mattered was that she had used it as a way to anger him, to hurt him, to make him feel shame. Obviously she succeeded, seeing as right now Severus was quite angry. He was mad, furious was more like it, hurt, and upset, but the emotion that surprised him the most was the sorrow.

Why did she have to find out? He knew it would happen eventually; secrets never remained secrets long when they were kept at Hogwarts, but he selfishly wanted some more time. Almost everyone tiptoed around him in fear, whether or not they knew he was a Death Eater. Few had the audacity to defy him, or even to look him in the eye for an extended amount of time. Then this girl, this stupid American muggle came along, this little bit of a woman who treated him no differently than she did anyone else.

She was quiet, determined, and had the potential to turn into a passionate female. She never ate much, he noticed, choosing to socialize at the meals instead, but almost always snuck an apple from each meal for later. She wore her robe only to classes, where it was required, choosing instead to dress in her own muggle clothing for the majority of the time. Her attire was always modest, unlike the way he had seen some American tourists dress. While she did not drown in her clothes they were clearly oversized, and clung loosely to her body.

When she had spoken back to him earlier that day in class he had seen a passion in her, a fire that reminded him so much of Lily it frightened him. He had already admitted to himself that he was attracted to her, as any red blooded male would likely be, but that was the first time she caused him to take a second glance at what she really was.

Now, however, she would never be that girl again. She would cower around him like the rest of the world, whispering in the shadows about how horrible he was. He had been tainted in her eyes, and he was certain she would never act the same again. It saddened him. He had been enjoying the night so far, until it was taken so far, and he found himself longing that he could have that, even if it was just for a short time more. She accepted his sarcasm, and instead of becoming offended, as most did, she responded in kind with her own playful banter. It was like nothing that had ever happened to him before, and he had ruined it all, as he had a tendency to do.

Walking over to his dresser Severus opened one drawer, and violently shoved aside all of his neatly folded socks to reveal a bottle of firewhiskey, one he kept in case of moments like this. Pulling out the bottle he opened it and let the cap drop to the floor, forgotten. Holding the bottle to his lips he threw his head back and swallowed as much as he could.

Bringing the bottle away from his mouth Severus made a face at the burn the alcohol caused. It was always worst with the first sip, as his body tried desperately to tell him this substance would cause him nothing but harm. It was a feeling he despised, a feeling he needed. Beginning to calm down Severus sat on his bed as he took another swig, the burn already beginning to lessen.

Severus wasn't one to drink often, and it was an even rarer occurrence that he indulged to the point where he lost control. When Severus drank it was merely to numb the pain that his life had become. He didn't like himself, and he didn't blame anyone else who disliked him. He might hate them, but he never felt like their feelings were unjustified. He was a horrible person, one who had betrayed everyone who had ever put their trust in him.

When he drank, it was because the alcohol allowed him to get lost in dreams of what could have been. What his life could have been like if he was a real, decent person.

He often dreamed he had never gotten that cursed tattoo on his forearm; he had never succumbed to the pressure of his fellow Slytherins while at Hogwarts. He imagined what his life might be like then. Often it included Lily. Without the barrier he had forced between them when he called her that stupid name who's to say what could have happened. He could have been with her, been the man that she loved. He could have been the one to give her a child, one they would care for and love for as long as they both would live. This one fantasy was particularly appealing as it meant that that nuisance James Potter would be the one longing over what he could never have.

Other times he pictured his alternate future with a variety of faceless women. They would be different shapes, sizes and colors, but they would always be there to hold him, love him, and care for him. They would live together in a cozy house with happy, young children running around.

Sometimes his vision of what could have been didn't involve a woman at all, at least in a romantic way. He would see himself spending time with friends, during some holiday or another. They seemed so close, so caring. They would sit closely next to him on a couch as they all huddled around a warm fire, giving one armed hugs holding him tightly, laughing with him, instead of at him as he was used to.

Every time his idea of what could have been was different, but even Severus could easily see that each and every one had one thing in common. In every one, he was loved. He had people who cared for him, people who took time to think about what he needed.

Severus never had friends. He had acquaintances, Dumbledore being the closest to him, but no one he would go to in a time of need, no one he would ever confide in. He certainly didn't have lovers. He found ways to meet his needs, finding loose women, and sometimes even professionals, to lie with him, but with them it was always just sex. Never once did he even fool himself into believing that anything he did with those women could be considered making love, or any of the tender names people used for that act. Never did any one of those women evoke emotion in him beyond lust or disgust.

Severus never had anyone who he could count on, never had anyone who could help him overcome the challenges he had to face, and, being entirely honest, he had to admit that he felt it was only fitting. What right did he, a slimy traitorous snake have to be happy, comforted by someone that truly cared for him.

No, Severus was incurably alone.

**End Chapter Eleven**

AN:

Angst, angst, angst.

Sorry! It really wasn't supposed to be so angst filled but the story ran away with me, so blame the characters really. Besides, what would a good Severus story be without at least a little(lot) of angst?

Lots of thanks to my charming beta evenstar101 and everyone who reviewed the last chapter. :) you guys are more awesome than Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream!

Reviews are loved and constructive criticism is appreciated! Tell me what you think!


	12. Disastrous Discussions

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.

**Chapter Twelve: Disastrous Discussions**

Laurel groggily got out of bed at six in the morning. Though she was not normally one for coffee, she found herself wishing she could have a cup or two. Having not slept a wink during the night she found it difficult to complete even the simple parts of her morning routine. However challenging it was she forced herself through it all determined to be ready for the day.

As fast as she could she made her way down to the dungeons and entered Severus' classroom, intent on apologizing for her actions the night before. Expecting to find Severus working at his desk she was disappointed to find he wasn't there. Deciding it was probably not the best idea to barge into his private chambers she stood for a while, waiting for him to come out on his way to breakfast. But Severus never came out for breakfast.

Laurel waited in silence, sitting in her chair, her worry clear on her face, until the students filed into the classroom slowly and began to set up for the class ahead of them. Moments before the class was scheduled to start, and all of the students were seated, Severus finally emerged from his chambers. His hair was tousled and his robe slightly wrinkled. Although his eyes were hard as stone the large, dark bags underneath betrayed his condition. He looked just as tired and weary as Laurel felt.

She willed him to look at her, to acknowledge that she was there so she could have some hope that she might be forgiven. Throughout the night she had tried to console herself. After all, she had every reason to ask him what she did. After all, he was the one who brought up the personal questions. However her reasoning always fell short. She remembered the hurt, the betrayal in his face and couldn't help but feel like she crossed some sort of line. At the time she hadn't been completely aware that line existed, but ignorance is never an excuse.

Severus spoke for the entire period, lecturing about some potion. Laurel supposed she should have known, and should have been paying attention, however it was difficult for her to focus on anything beyond the fat knot growing in her stomach. The fact that she had missed breakfast waiting to speak to him didn't help any.

When it was finally time for the first class change Laurel jumped up from her seat. Wringing her hands nervously she inched her way towards Severus. Even when she was standing right behind him he still did not acknowledge her presence. It wasn't until she was reaching one hand out to touch his shoulder that he finally snipped out a quick, "What?"

Laurel couldn't help but wince at his tone. Clearly he was still angry. Gathering all the courage she could muster she closed her eyes as she began to talk, thinking maybe if she couldn't see his form, which was radiating hate, it might be easier. "I just wanted to-"

"Just wanted to what?" He whipped his chair around to her with cruel sneer on his face. "What exactly is it that you choose to bother me with?"

She tried to stay brave, to stand strong, but under his intense gaze she began to falter, suddenly unsure of herself. "I t-thought it might be-"

"Well there's your mistake right there. Perhaps it might be best if you attempt not to think from now on." Severus got up from his seat and began to walk towards his own quarters. "I am uninterested in anything you have to say at this time. I will be present when the next class begins."

It was at that moment that Laurel began to get angry. Here she was trying to apologize, when he was just as much at fault as she was no less, and he had the gall to walk away from her? Incensed Laurel spoke with a loud firm voice. "No," Balling her hands into fist she stood firm, "No! You do not get to walk away from me without at least letting me finish a sentence."

Clearly surprised at her outburst Severus stopped in his tracks and turned to face her, his expression unreadable. Afraid that if she gave him a chance to speak she would lose the nerve she seemed to have brought out of thin air she continued in her tirade, "All I was trying to do was apologize because for some reason I felt bad that I had hurt you. I was emotional, I acted irrationally and I'm sorry that I offended you, but you're the one who started it all, you know. You're the one who hurt me first, who asked me about something I clearly did not want to share with you. If you can't take something then you shouldn't dish it out so willingly."

Severus just stood there, staring at her for what seemed like forever before returning to his desk and taking a seat. Confused, and not sure exactly what that meant, Laurel stood still for a few moments before returning to her seat. As she reached it she heard his voice come quietly from behind her. "The question I asked you to answer was unfair. I will think more carefully in the future."

Laurel smiled brightly, knowing that that was Severus' way of apologizing. So he knew his apology did not go unnoticed she stated simply, "I forgive you, and I hope you know that I really don't put any value into gossip, however interesting it is to hear. I shouldn't have provoked you like that no matter what you did to me first. It was awfully childish of me."

He looked towards her, his eyes dark, indecipherable, for one brief moment before he stated in a low voice, "The class will be starting in a moment. It might be best for you to begin preparing now."

As if on cue the first student entered the classroom, followed closely by others. For that entire class Laurel wore a dazzling smile, knowing that while some feelings might still be tender, both were forgiven, and things just might return to how they were before.

**BREAK**

That afternoon, after classes were all finished, Laurel decided to take a walk around the Hogwarts grounds. While she really would have enjoyed spending some more time with Severus, she wasn't sure that was the best idea at the moment. Sure, she had asked for forgiveness and it appeared as though he had accepted, but she still wasn't really sure if it was okay for her to be friendly with him just yet. Instead, she decided to take advantage of the nice weather while it lasted.

Next to the lake Laurel found a large tree that offered her lots of shade. Sitting down beneath it she took out the apple she had snagged from the last meal and took some time to just relax. Unlike the lakes she was used to in America this one had clear blue water which rippled gently with serenity. She wondered briefly if there was some sort of magic cast on the lake, or if it was that gorgeous naturally.

Chewing on the apple noisily, enjoying the way it crunched in her mouth, Laurel didn't even notice someone had walked up to her until a polite voice addressed her. "Excuse me, Professor Slade?"

Looking up she saw one of the students, Hermione Granger. Swallowing the piece of apple she had in her mouth she smiled up at the girl. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes actually, I had a question relating to my potions studies."

Laurel didn't see any problem with this. They had only studied one potion in class and Laurel was pretty confident she would be able to answer any questions about it. "I would be happy to provide you with an answer."

Clearly relieved Hermione sat down in front of Laurel as she began to speak. "I was researching potions that I had found were typically studied in the sixth year, and when I ran across the hair growth potion I became rather confused. You see, I had seen that particular potion before and I remembered the ingredients to be different. Sure enough when I looked in another book I found that there were different directions for the hair growth potion. I was wondering why there would possibly be two different potions and which one we would be studying in class."

Crap. This was not exactly what Laurel had expected. How was she supposed to answer this question when she never remembered even running across the potion before. "Honestly, Severus hasn't shared with me most of his plans for the year. I really don't know which version we will be studying in class. You would be better off asking Severus the question." Laurel cheered herself for the copout answer she gave.

Hermione nodded, "Yes, but I am still a bit perplexed as to why there would be two different versions in the first place. I saw that one contained frog liver and I know that generally that is used to prolong the length for which a potion will be active, which led me to believe that one potion was used mostly for men and the other for women. Looking at the other potion, however, I saw that the other potion contained Ashwinder eggs which I know is a main ingredient in most love potions which made it seem as though that potion might be used to grow hair that might be found more attractive to the opposite sex. No matter how much I studied the ingredients I was unable to come to any logical conclusion as to why there would be more than one version of a potion when both claim to do the exact same thing."

Laurel tried to keep her bewilderment off of her face. She had absolutely no idea what this girl was talking about, and frankly was amazed that she could talk for so long when it didn't appear she took any breaths. Smiling weakly Laurel searched the depths of her mind for an answer that would make her seem knowledgeable. "You know, I'm still not entirely sure how things work around here, I'm really just a potions apprentice you know, not a teacher, and personally I think it would be best for you to discover the answer yourself."

Hermione's brows furrowed and it became obvious that was not the answer she was looking for. "I am aware you have not been here for long Professor, but please believe me when I say I would not have come to you if I were able to discern the differences myself. There are merely too many variables and it might take me years to understand it fully without any help from someone who could provide me with more information."

Laurel tried to keep the blood from rushing to her face as she continued to avoid answering the question. "Then I must insist you talk to Severus. I am finding it difficult to supply you with an answer." In her own mind she added, 'Mostly because it's difficult to give an answer when you barely understand the question.'

The inquisitive stare that Hermione fixed on her gave Laurel the chills, and made her wonder just what was going on in that girl's mind. It was far too long before Hermione stood up and, after politely thanking Laurel for spending time on her, bid her farewell.

Laurel's now troubled gaze wandered towards the lake. That Granger girl was too smart for her own good, and it was going to get Laurel in trouble no doubt. Wondering just what she could do she determined the only logical course of action would be to consult Severus. Perhaps she should study all of the potions the sixth years would be learning first, if only so she could answer any more questions Hermione might have. But that was for another time. For now she just closed her eyes as she leaned back against the tree.

Laurel was startled when she opened her eyes. Apparently she must have dozed off for a moment since night had already fallen. Rising from where she sat she made her way back to the castle. She wrapped her arms around herself as she shivered. 'The castle grounds are a lot creepier when the sun isn't around to light it all.'

A loud howl echoed through the air and Laurel let out a sharp yelp as she jumped in fright. With wide eyes she hastened her steps towards the castle. The howl sounded as though it was relatively far away, but nonetheless it was a frightening thing to hear when one is alone outside on unfamiliar grounds.

Luckily the entrance to the castle was not difficult to find, even in the dark, and Laurel soon found herself inside the safety of the heavy castle doors. She began to walk to her room, but after only a few steps she heard a voice coming from behind her.

"Ah, Miss Slade, just the person I was hoping to run into." Standing a short distance away from her was a smiling Dumbledore.

Returning his smile Laurel took a few steps closer to him. "Do you need me for something?"

"Nothing in particular, however I have noticed we have had little time to chat since your arrival at the castle. Perhaps I might accompany you on the journey to your quarters."

"Feel free to." They began walking for a short amount of time in silence. Unsure what to say Laurel twiddled her thumbs awkwardly. This was technically her boss, and a man she knew little about. He could fire her at any moment and leave her with no place to go. Frankly it made her a little nervous around him, however kind he seemed.

Dumbledore was the first to speak, "I trust you are enjoying your time here at Hogwarts so far."

"Very much so, if nothing else the food is much better than anything I could make myself."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, we are lucky to have such accomplished house-elves to work for us."

Laurel was unsure exactly what a house-elf was, but she had heard Pippa mention them before. From what she had gathered they were small creatures that did most of the work around Hogwarts. The whole concept sounded odd to her, but after seeing the amount of ghosts that the castle had it didn't really surprise her.

When it became apparent the conversation had died Dumbledore started up again, this time bringing up a more serious issue. "I was told that you have been informed about the existence of Death Eaters and possibly the issue that Voldemort is in our world right now."

He didn't say it, but Laurel knew that Severus was the one to tell him. "Pippa told me a little about the Death Eaters, however I don't recognize the other name. Is Voldemort the real name for that you-know-who guy?"

"It is the name the years have given him. Would you mind terribly if I asked you to relay to me the information Miss Russell has provided you with?"

"Sure, she didn't tell me much really. All I know is that there are these Death Eaters and they follow this you-know-who person."

Hands clasped behind his back Dumbledore stated, "All of those facts are correct, however there is more that I believe you have a right to be informed of."

Laurel resisted the urge to ask why they didn't tell her all of this before. Instead of interrupting, however, she let the older man talk, his gaze troubled, eyes void of the merry twinkle they usually held. "Voldemort's agenda is the destruction of anyone whom he deems to have 'impure' blood, essentially anyone of muggle descent. He does not hesitate to kill, and will seek to destroy anyone who defies him. He feels someone at this castle is a threat to him, and it is one that he is trying his hardest to annihilate. I tell you this only because this increases the chances that you may have an encounter with him, or some of his Death Eaters. If this does happen, it is imperative that you hide so as not to be noticed."

After everything she had been told about this Voldemort guy, hiding would be the first thing she would do. "Will they be able to tell I am a muggle when he sees me or something?"

"No, however many are known for casting spells intended to harm, if not kill. These are curses that ought to be impossible to block. As of now we do not know the extent of your ability; however it's very plausible these spells will have no affect on you. I am unsure myself what would happen should Voldemort discover your ability, however it is not something I am interested in discovering."

Laurel kept her eyes glued determinedly to the floor as fear began to creep into her heart. "They shouldn't want to do anything to me, right? It's not like I'm a threat or anything. Spells are not the only way to harm a person and I am unlikely to be the victor in any hand to hand combat."

"You are correct in that manner. However my concern is not that they would look upon you as a danger but rather they may see in you an opportunity to generate a new defensive technique."

"I don't get it, I can't teach them to do it or anything, I don't even know how I do it."

Dumbledore sighed heavily, "Severus has a theory that your gift is based within either you're your blood or DNA. No matter the case it is probable a potion may be produced allowing that property to be momentarily passed onto whoever ingests it."

Laurel's mouth turned down in a slight frown. This was new; Severus had never told her anything about a potion. Laurel listened intensely as Dumbledore continued, "Should Voldemort acquire such a potion it would mean an end for anyone who opposes him." They arrived before Laurel's room and stopped walking. Turning to face Laurel Dumbledore spoke in a grave voice. "I say this to you simply so you know that it is crucial Voldemort in no way learns of this prospective potion. You ought to do all in your power to hide your ability from one and all."

Laurel nodded. Though she doubted the man intended to frighten her she couldn't help but shiver briefly at his words, the severity of the situation hitting her abruptly and harshly. If these people should discover her ability she would no longer be safe. They would come after her, torment her with experiments to discover a way to replicate her ability.

Her only comfort was in the fact that it was unlikely any of this would come to be. All who knew the secret already were trusted by Dumbledore, and would guard it with their lives. She was confident none of these people would tell Voldemort about her, and saw no other way he could learn of her.

Saying farewell to Dumbledore Laurel entered her chambers. Sleep did not come easily, however Laurel didn't think it was because of the nap she had earlier that afternoon.

**End Chapter Twelve**

A/N:

Just thought I'd take a moment to brag about how excited I was when I found an original Raggedy Ann doll in an antique store yesterday for ten dollars. I don't think they knew it was basically the first version ever made or something, because I don't know how much it's really worth, but it's a lot more than ten dollars, especially since it's in really great condition for a sixty something year old doll. I absolutely adore Raggedy Ann!

Tell me what you think! Constructive Criticism is greatly appreciated!! :)

Big thanks to my beta evenstar101 and everyone who reviewed the last chapter. It's all greatly appreciated!

*Whoopsydaisy


	13. Delicious Dreaming

_**WARNING! I did have to change the rating because of this chapter! It is now rated M. **_The reason being there is some more mature content in the second half of the chapter. It's not really a lemon, more of a lime. Not even that really, sort of like the tequila shot before the lime. ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything affiliated with it.

**Chapter Thirteen: Delicious Dreaming**

The next day, after the final class was released, the students wandered slowly from the room. As usual, Severus sat at his desk writing furiously on some papers. After the last student left the sound of Severus' pen scraping on paper was the only noise echoing in the small room. Tentatively, Laurel approached the desk.

"Severus, I was wondering if I could talk to you a little."

Without even looking up from his work cynical words fell heavily out of Severus' mouth. "You may speak to me as much as you wish, however I make no promise to return the favor."

Taking that as a yes, Laurel leaned forward across the desk, trying to get a peek at whatever Severus was so concentrated on. "What exactly is it that you are working on?"

"I am attempting to fashion a new potion. Any further details would serve no purpose but to confuse and bore you." Laurel had to marvel at the way his quill never seemed to stop moving as he spoke.

"Would that potion have anything to do with the strange ability I seem to have?"

The motion of the quill stopped abruptly leaving the room strangely quiet. Severus looked up, a sneer already forming on his pale face. "I am looking forward to your explanation as to what would possess you to imply such a thing."

"Well, Dumbledore told me that-"

"Albus is a meddling fool who has no idea when his mouth would be better kept closed."

Placing one hand on her hip Laurel glowered at the man. "You're one to talk about keeping mouths closed. Why is it you never seem to let me finish any of my sentences?"

"Perhaps if your words were more interesting I would find myself inclined to listen to all of them."

Laurel's scowl only deepened. The man was infuriating! "I think Dumbledore had every right to tell me about the potion. After all, won't it require my blood or something?"

"What it will require is irrelevant. I would never brew such a potion of my own free will."

Laurel watched him inquiringly, wondering why he spat out those words with such contempt. "I don't mind you know."

Laurel wasn't sure if she had ever seen someone more shocked. "What?"

"Honestly I don't mind if you make that potion. In fact, I think it might be a good thing for you to do."

Dismissing her with a wave of a hand he spoke quietly, "You are unaware of the consequences that action would hold. Be thankful I am not as naïve as you are."

"I am hardly being naïve. Despite what you may think I am not a complete fool." Laurel thought carefully about how to explain what she was thinking. "From the way Dumbledore spoke it seemed like this potion could be the magical world's equivalent of the atom bomb. If the bad guys get the potion first, game over, we lose. However if we make the potion now, before anyone ever hears of it, we'll have the potion first. We don't need to use the potion, however if the potion should ever find its way into the wrong hands we will be prepared. When both sides possess the same technology neither has the advantage." Laurel nodded, proud of the connection she had made, and confident she had explained her point of view effectively.

Severus gawked at the girl. How on earth could she believe that a potion of this magnitude was anywhere similar to some muggle explosive? Did she not even understand the situation they were in? "I assure you, there is no method you could employ that would cause me to waver in my decision. The world would be far better off without this potion made, and if I have to see personally to the fact that it never gets completed then that is what I shall do."

Laurel was exceptionally confused. "You can't say with all certainty that I will never end up in the hands of the enemy. Should that happen I would be unable to stop them from making any potion and that would be the end of this whole war you have going on."

The callous chuckle surprised her. "Believe me, should Voldemort ever manage to abduct you the least of your worries would be some potion he would be making." Eyes narrowing he decided to instill some fear in the girl, thinking that perhaps if she was more frightened it might cause her to be more careful. "Before your first night as his captive had ended you would find yourself unable to feel the majority of your limbs, and you would doubtless be grateful for that. Your entire body would be littered with so many cuts and bruises that you would have to wonder just how you remained conscious. I can guarantee you that if he did not have a need for you; you would be dead long before the second day could begin. Seeing as he would require you alive for the potion to be made he would assure that you were in such a state, however be assured that you would surely wish he would let you die."

Laurel tried not to shudder as she heard his words. She knew this guy was bad dammit, otherwise why would he murder hundreds of people for no reason other than their heritage. What was the point of needlessly running off about the pain that he was capable of putting someone in? "I am aware of what might happen to me, but I still think it is good to be prepared, just in case, you know."

"I will not allow them to get a hold on you." There was such ferocity in his gaze that she found herself believing in him. Severus sighed and rubbed his temple as though trying to ward off a headache. "I'm only telling you this because you need to understand what the consequences of others discovering your ability could be. It is crucial you keep a low profile."

Laurel cringed, remembering her encounter with Hermione the previous day. Grinning sheepishly Laurel spoke, "Yeah, about that, I think we might have a little bit of a problem with Hermione Granger."

Eyes narrowing suspiciously Severus frowned at the woman, "What did you do?"

Laurel tried not to recoil under his furious stare, "I didn't really do anything, and that might be some of the problem. You see, she had a question about the hair growth potion, something about there being more than one version, and I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. I gave a few bullshit answers before essentially sending her your way if she desired more."

"Yes, Ms. Granger came to my office yesterday afternoon inquiring about hair growth potion. I believe I was able to answer her questions quite proficiently, and fail to see how this has anything to do with your situation."

Laurel tried not to blush in embarrassment, but she could feel her ears heat up and was sure she was slowly turning red. "Well I sort of got the impression that she might be a little suspicious of me. She thought that I should have been able to provide her with all of the answers she desired."

"What exactly is it you said to her?" Severus was unable to keep a hint of curiosity from entering his voice.

"I don't know exactly, something about how in order to learn she must find the answers for herself. I think I also used the excuse that as I was new here I wasn't sure how things worked, and then, as I mentioned previously, I suggested that she ask you. The girl had a ridiculous amount of questions. It was difficult to think of ways to avoid actually answering any of them."

Severus groaned, did the girl understand anything? "As far as Ms Granger goes she has always had an irritating tendency to ask more than is necessary. Unfortunately I believe your responses did more harm than good. Should something similar occur in the future it would be best for you to immediately refer the student to me. Technically you are merely my assistant, and therefore are not qualified to answer questions students may have. As irksome as Ms Granger can be she is also incredibly bright and likely picked up on the fact that you were not entirely truthful with her."

With her suspicions confirmed Laurel felt more worried than she did before. "Right, so what do we do now?"

Turning back to his notes Severus spoke quietly, "Absolutely nothing."

Now that wasn't exactly the response Laurel was expecting. "Excuse me? I thought I just heard you say we do nothing."

"Well it appears you can at least listen properly. That is indeed what I said."

"Are you out of your freaking mind?" her voice seemed to reach new heights as she squealed at him. "You're the one who just lectured me on just how important it was that this whole thing remain a secret, so how exactly is doing nothing when I am about to be discovered the right thing to do?"

Slamming his pen down roughly on his desk he cradled his head in both hands as he explained, "There are a multitude of reasons. The foremost being that should we take some sort of action, such as warning off Ms. Granger or setting up a situation in which you appear to be sufficiently knowledgeable in potions it would likely give Ms. Granger the opinion that there is something we know that is worth hiding. If we do nothing it makes us appear as though we have nothing to conceal." Looking Laurel in the eye he continued, "Another being that while Ms. Granger is indisputably bothersome she is hardly one that would run to Voldemort after discovering your ability, seeing as it is her dear friend Potter that Voldemort is after."

Well this was new. "Voldemort is after Harry Potter? Why? From the little I've seen of him he's hardly extraordinary."

The expression that appeared on Severus' face could almost be called a smile. "The boy has no talent at potions, though admittedly he is slightly above average in his Defense Against the Dark Arts performance. Voldemort's reasons for pursuing the boy have nothing to do with his performance at all. Voldemort has been after Harry since he was a child."

"Why?"

"There was a prophecy, made by that old hag Trelawney, that said, essentially, a child born under the same circumstances Harry was born would be the one who could defeat The Dark Lord."

Things weren't adding up, and Laurel hated it when that happened. Wrinkling her nose she tried to get some answers. "I don't get it, if Trelawney made the prophecy how exactly did Voldemort learn about it?"

Severus' face tightened as his eyes once more became stony. "Apparently he has his ways."

The abrupt change in his expression surprised Laurel, and she knew immediately that this was a taboo topic. Wanting to avoid a reenactment of the disastrous chess game they played, she wisely chose to change the subject. "So when are we going to make another potion?"

The affect was instantaneous, as his eyes softened and his scowl became friendlier. This was the Severus she knew. "We brewed a potion just a few days ago. What makes you wish to prepare another so soon?"

Shrugging, Laurel replied, "It was kind of exciting, knowing that I'm making something that can do things I never would have dreamed possible. It gave me such a thrilling rush."

"Perhaps you merely inhaled a few too many fumes." His lip quirked in amusement.

She hit him playfully on the arm. "You know what I mean. Plus, I study the damn potions so much that it was nice to actually see one, to put the knowledge I'm working for to use."

"I suppose I could inquire if there are any potions Poppy is low on, however for today there is nothing we are required to make."

Laurel sagged in disappointment. "Are we only going to make potions when Madame Pomphrey needs them? That's going to be few and far in between, not to mention tiresome and repetitive."

A low snigger came out of Severus mouth. "You'd be surprised at the different amount of potions Poppy requires to run the hospital wing efficiently. When I first began this job I was astounded by the multitude of ways children are capable of injuring themselves. To add to that workload there are multiple curses and charms that the students use on each other that we will be required to make antidotes for. Once we get further into the school year there will be plenty of potions for us to brew."

"Well I sure wish the students would get up to trouble faster. So far we haven't been required to brew any potions at all, it's rather tiresome."

Sighing Laurel gave a small smile to Severus before exiting the room heading to the library, prepared to study for the remainder of the evening.

**BREAK**

Severus sat on his desk working on his latest potion when he heard a creaking which alerted him that the door to his classroom had been opened. Looking up he saw Laurel closing the door carefully. Turning around she gave a small, shy wave.

"Good afternoon."

Raising one eyebrow Severus uttered, "It is near midnight Ms. Slade, hardly the afternoon, and I cannot help but wonder just what you are doing in my classroom at this late hour."

Walking at a snail's pace Laurel approached the desk slowly. "I couldn't really go to sleep, and thought I might come down here to see if you were still up."

"While I do feel honored you felt the need to bother me when you find yourself fighting a bout of insomnia, I must request you return to your own quarters. It is late and this is hardly the time for you to be paying me a visit."

Severus didn't think Laurel had ever looked him in the eye so much as she inched her way toward where he sat. "You seem tense Severus, is something the matter?"

"The only thing bothering me at the moment is the fact that you seem incapable of leaving me to my work."

When Laurel finally reached his desk she placed her index finger lightly on the edge as she walked slowly around. "That's awful Severus, I feel terrible that I am being a nuisance. Perhaps I can rectify the situation."

Severus stood up as she reached his side of the desk and stood closer to him than was decent. "The situation would best be corrected with you returning to your chambers."

Placing one small hand on his chest Laurel looked up at him, a coy smile playing on her lips. "Come on now Severus, you know that is not what I was talking about. I was thinking I might help you with something to help you relax a little bit, something to help you relieve some of that tension you carry around with you."

When Laurel began to lean into him Severus had every intention of leaning away, of stopping this insanity. This was wrong. For all intensive purposes he was her teacher, and anything that would result from this situation would surely be inappropriate. Some primal part of his being, however, stopped him from pulling back from the attention she was intent on giving him. She was, after all, her own adult, and knew how to make her own choices. Seeing as he smelled no alcohol on her that might impair her judgment he saw little wrong with allowing her to continue in her ministrations.

He watched through half lidded eyes as Laurel began to kiss his neck slowly. Her arms wrapped around his neck, twining into his hair as she focused her attention more on his earlobe. Severus let out a loud gasp and gripped tightly onto the desk when she bit his earlobe lightly. The familiar feeling of blood rushing downward was Severus' only warning as he felt himself begin to harden.

When Laurel pulled back briefly Severus felt relieved, and slightly disappointed. Both feelings were short lived as Laurel pulled his head down harshly to capture his lips in a kiss. Closing his eyes  
Severus responded immediately to the kiss with a harsh fervor, moving his own hands to grip her waist. When Laurel nibbled on his lower lip he immediately opened his mouth to allow her access. Her tongue slunk in greedily as the kiss deepened.

Severus was so involved in his kiss that he hadn't even noticed when her hands left his head to work on his robes, until they were open, and her hands were roaming over the clothes he wore under. He shivered as she slipped her hands under his shirt and ran her fingers lightly over his bare skin. Returning her attention to his neck Laurel's fingers worked nimbly on Severus' trousers. Before Severus knew it she had slipped her hands downward and grasped firmly onto his heat.

Severus let out a loud moan as she flexed her fingers, moving her hand slightly. Opening his eyes he grasped her head, and pulled her in for a frantic, burning kiss as she continued in her attention to his nether regions. Thrusting his hips into her hand slightly Severus used his own to work on the buttons on her shirt. Gliding his hands over the exposed flesh he palmed one of her breast still confined within her bra, his thumb teasing the cloth covered nipple. The way she moaned when he teased her only fueling his desire.

Severus was about to unclasp Laurel's bra, however a loud buzzing noise distracted him. Looking around the room he was confused to see it darkening, slowly fading away.

Opening his eyes Severus sat up in his bed with a frustrated groan, grabbing his wand to turn off the alarm he had set to wake him. When the realization that he just had a wet dream hit him he glared at nothing in particular. 'What am I, a prepubescent hormonal teenager?' he thought grumpily, thoroughly embarrassed. At the age of thirty-six he should have been well past dreams of this nature a long time ago.

This was his first erotic dream in at the very least fifteen years, and the very first to feature someone other than a certain red headed female he knew once upon a time. He tried to chalk it up to the fact that he had been busy of late, too busy to leave the castle in order to seek release elsewhere, however he knew that wasn't the cause.

He had been spending far too much time with this Laurel character. It had been more than a week since Laurel had asked him when they would make another potion, and since that day they had spent the majority of every afternoon brewing potion after potion for Poppy's use. True to his word the students soon began to create mischief, creating an excessive need for potions that Laurel was more than happy to spend the time creating.

Severus had to admit that it was rather nice to have an assistant. Usually he might be kept up at all hours brewing the potions that needed to be made, and this left little time for him to have to himself. With Laurel here he was able to get twice as much finished, allowing for him to spend much more time on anything he wanted.

Unfortunately this also meant he spent more time with Laurel. He found himself enjoying the time he spent in her company and that was a dangerous thing. He couldn't get attached, and was fighting his hardest against allowing that to happen, however he was fighting a losing battle. When he was with her a smile was always playing on his normally somber lips. She had a sardonic sense of humor when upset or tired that matched his own. When she was in her right mind her words tended to lean towards a naïve sense of optimism that was a sweet breath of fresh air. Very few people were optimistic around Severus Snape.

She evoked such emotion in him that it was frightening. She was capable of drawing out a laugh, and in the next moment her words might infuriate him to the extent that he would be yelling at the small woman.

Closing his eyes Severus tried desperately to wipe all thought of Laurel from his mind. He couldn't become attached, couldn't allow himself to care for her. After all, everyone he's ever cared for has died because of him, and dying was not something he wished for Laurel, least of all if her death were to be brought on by him.

**End Chapter Thirteen**

A/N:

This chapter is dedicated to my friend who was the inspiration for the second half of the chapter. ;) Much thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter and cheers to my wonderfully amazing beta evenstar101!

Sorry it took me a week to update. I went camping!!

*Whoopsydaisy


	14. Fight! Fight! Fight!

Disclaimer: I do now own Harry Potter.

**Chapter Fourteen: Fight! Fight! Fight!**

The day of October second started off normal enough. Laurel woke up, ate a breakfast of one pear, one piece of toast, and a few pieces of bacon. It had been two months almost to the day since Laurel had arrived at the castle, and more than a few weeks since the classes began. Laurel quickly fell into a routine, and it was one she found rather enjoyable.

Breakfast, classes, lunch, more classes, dinner, potion making, and then she had free time. Usually her free time was either spent with Severus, or in her own room studying more potions. On some occasions she would spend time with Pippa, who would keep her up until four o'clock in the morning doing nothing but playing cards and taking shots. It wasn't the most exciting life, but it was one she could live with, one she was happy with.

After her meal was complete, she began the walk toward the dungeons to prepare for the first class of the day. While on her way she took the time to think about the man whom she taught the classes with. Severus Snape was a curious man. Dark, troubled, cynical, and often quite cruel, but he was a man Laurel found herself strangely drawn to. She wanted to spend more time with him, wanted to be closer to him than she was, but refused to dwell on what that really meant. He was her superior, and their relationship should never be anything more than completely professional.

Still, that didn't keep her from spending most nights in his company.

Laurel made it to the classroom before Severus, not that that was any surprise. Severus rarely spent more time in the classroom than was needed, especially when the students would be there. Usually he arrived to the classes moments before they were scheduled to start, and it appeared today would be no exception.

As the students began to file in Laurel sat in her usual seat studying the potion they would be working on for that day. It wasn't until most of the students were in class that she heard a voice raise above all the rest. "Take that back, Malfoy."

Wondering just who was causing the ruckus Laurel peeked over the top of her book and saw Neville Longbottom holding his wand in the face of one Draco Malfoy, who was currently sporting a vicious sneer. "Awe, does it make ickle Longbottom upset when I talk about his head case parents?"

Despite the fact that, as a staff member she should be doing something to stop what was happening, Laurel couldn't help but roll her eyes. Really, the insulting the parents bit was so overworked, but she supposed that was because when an insult worked, it worked.

"Stop it now, Malfoy, I'm warning you." Neville's face was red with rage as his wand shook in Malfoy's face

Obviously Malfoy was not worried as he took a step towards Neville, his own wand in his hand at his side. He leered unpleasantly, "Or you'll what?"

Sighing Laurel put the book down. It appeared these two weren't going to stop without someone stepping in. slowly she got up from her chair she walked towards the pair, not at all looking forward to breaking up this tussle, when she heard Neville's voice shout out a spell, "Furnunculus!"

Before Neville could even finish saying the spell Malfoy had already gotten out from in front of Neville's wand. Without anyone to stop it the spell continued on its path. Because Laurel was on her way to stop the fight she just so happened to be standing right behind Malfoy. There were loud gasps, and some screams from the students as the spell slammed straight into Laurels chest, forcing her to stumble back a few steps.

All at once the noise in the classroom stopped as the students stared at her, shocked. From the way Malfoy was trying to hide his grin it was apparent he was more than satisfied from the way this little scene he'd caused had turned out. On the other hand, Neville was staring at Laurel with something akin to horror, his face so pale it looked as though he was about to pass out.

Laurel froze, not quite sure what to do. Obviously the spell was supposed to do something, but she was not entirely sure what the effect was supposed to be. Instead of pretending she had some sort of symptom Laurel just stood there like a deer caught in the headlights.

Opening and closing her mouth Laurel searched for something she might say, but was saved from having to form an actual response by a mocking voice coming from the back of the room. "Let us be glad for once that Mr. Longbottom is incapable of performing even the simplest of spells." Laurel wouldn't have thought it possible but Neville turned even whiter when he turned toward the speaker, Severus, to find the man leering in his direction. "Should that spell have worked Professor Slade would currently be covered in hideous boils. You do know that hexing a professor is an expellable offence, Longbottom?"

The boy in question nodded his head slowly, while another boy, the one Laurel recognized as Harry Potter, spoke up. "Sir, that's not fair. Malfoy was taunting him and he wasn't even aiming at Professor Slade!"

Severus fixed the boy with a fierce glare. "Fifty points from Gryffindor, for both the spell Mr. Longbottom fired, and your inability to keep your mouth closed, Potter." The boy glowered angrily, but chose wisely not to respond. "Now I am particularly curious as to why all of my students have yet to be seated." The last word was emphasized by a loud bang as Severus slammed a large book down on his desk.

The noise seemed to shock the students out of their trance as there was a whirl of shuffling and scattered footsteps before each and every student was sitting quietly in a seat, none wanting to incur the wrath of the fuming Snape. "You will all open your books to page one and take in depth notes on classroom safety. If I get so much of a hint that any of you did something beyond my instructions you will all be serving detention every evening for at the very least a month."

Beckoning to Laurel, Severus entered his chambers. As she felt was expected she followed behind him. As soon as the door closed behind her Laurel noted an obvious change in Severus' demeanor. His eyes had lost the cold stony feeling and instead he was looking at her with something close to concern.

"Are you alright?"

Shrugging Laurel looked at him curiously. "I guess, it felt a little funny when it first hit, but magic doesn't affect me right? So nothing happening is what makes sense."

"Albus is of that opinion, however when you were able to travel by portkey I formed a separate hypothesis. It is far more logical that you have an innate resistance to magic. Normally when the magic is in spell form, directly from the wand it is too weak to break through the natural resistance your body has formed. When magic has been placed into an object, however, it is much more condensed, and is resilient enough to affect you. Where exactly is it that the brunt of the spell hit you."

Laurel gestured towards the area just above her chest. When his hands reached out to her, however, Laurel pulled back. "What the hell are you doing?"

The look on his face made it obvious Severus was not one with much patience. "It is necessary that I inspect the area where the spell hit directly to see if there has been any affect."

Slowly Laurel unfastened the first few buttons of the collared shirt she had chosen to wear, and held it open for his inspection. Severus tried not to let the amount of cleavage she was revealing affect the way he acted.

Reaching one hand out Severus touched his fingers lightly over where the spell hit, amazed to see that numerous small boils had appeared on her normally flawless skin. "It is just as I thought. There are some small boils around the area directly where the spell hit you. Absolutely extraordinary."

Laurel tried not to shiver when his fingers skimmed lightly over her skin. "That's so gross."

Severus snorted, "If you were anyone else you would be covered in boils three times the size of the ones you have."

"That doesn't make them any less disgusting. Didn't Dumbledore try spells on me before though?"

"Both Dumbledore and myself tried various spells, yes." He was so absorbed in studying the affected area that he didn't look up to meet her gaze when he spoke.

"And none of those spells had any effect." She prompted, as though talking to a child. Surely he would see the direction she was heading.

"Correct."

Apparently not. "So you're spells couldn't break through my barriers or whatever, but this one could. Does that mean Longbottom is more powerful than you or something?"

She expected him to be offended, but instead a loud snicker came from his mouth, "Most definitely not."

Still he didn't offer an explanation for how the spell had affected her. It seemed she would have to be less subtle if she wanted to get any answers. "Then how was his spell able to do something to me?"

Tearing his attention away from the boils Severus answered, "There are some spells that are innately more powerful, namely those intended to harm or cause negative effects. As we are not complete barbarians we avoided those spells in our testing. There is that as well as the fact that Longbottom was likely enraged by whatever Malfoy was taunting him with. Strong emotions tend to magnify the affect a spell will have."

Laurel nodded, well, that sort of made sense. Noticing Severus still had yet to move his hand Laurel blushed hotly. "So are you able to take these boils off of my skin or something?"

As though he only just realized where his hand was Severus pulled it away sharply, something inside of him feeling disappointed at the lack of contact. With a flick of his wand the boils were gone, leaving only clear smooth skin. Severus found it difficult to tear his gaze away from the exposed skin, trying to redirect his attention Severus moved to get a book he had been meaning to read through for a while.

Re-buttoning her shirt Laurel looked at Severus, confused at how he was acting. He was being decidedly awkward, and stood startlingly erect, as though he could not relax. Concerned that she had done something wrong, Laurel inquired, "You seem tense Severus, is everything alright?"

With a loud curse Severus dropped the book he had grabbed on the floor. His heart raced as he heard her words unintentionally mirrored those she had spoken in his dream from just a short while ago, a dream that had a tendency to repeat itself every few days. Closing his eyes he tried desperately not to think about said dream. Instead, he bit out, "There is nothing the matter at all with me." With that he quickly walked through the door back to his classroom, not trusting himself to spend too much longer alone with her just then.

Looking after him Laurel tried not to get hurt at the harsh tone he used. That was just the way he was. He wasn't one to share his feelings, and would easily get defensive if someone began to question him about, well, anything. Sighing, Laurel followed him back into the classroom and took her seat. Picking back up the book she had been studying before Laurel found it difficult to read. The words seemed to dance around her eyes, and it was tricky to force them to stand still for even a moment.

Giving up on studying for the moment she looked up at the classroom and took some time to people watch, something she used to enjoy doing with her mother. They would go to the park and just sit down, watching everyone walk by, making up stories about them, or trying to guess just what they were thinking at the moment.

Now, she really wasn't too surprised by what she saw. For the most part the students had their books propped up and were slowly falling asleep behind them. There were a few exceptions of course, the main one being Hermione Granger who was diligently taking notes.

Another exception was found closer to the back of the room. Malfoy, and the two goons he hung out with, were currently sniggering to each other about some private joke. Laurel raised one eyebrow slowly as the pail haired boy, Malfoy, took a rock out of one of his pockets. Either he was not aware Laurel was watching, or he just didn't care, but either way he took the rock and chucked it up to the front so it hit Neville in the back of his head.

Jumping up from his seat Neville grasped the back of his head with a noisy exclamation of pain. He looked around the classroom with wide eyes, trying to figure out just what had hit him.

Severus' eyes shot up as soon as he heard the noise. "Ten points from Gryffindor Mr. Longbottom, I would suggest you sit down now before you incur a more harsh punishment."

Another boy popped up from his seat, none other than Harry Potter. Apparently the boy had some sort of hero syndrome, needing to stand up for those he felt were defenseless. "Sir, Neville didn't do anything. Someone threw something at his head and hit him."

"Excellent observation, Mr. Potter," Laurel spoke, her own hero complex poking out its ugly little head. "Twenty points to Gryffindor for being particularly perceptive."

Obviously not used to this outcome in the potions class Harry looked at Laurel with astonishment, and slowly sat back down in his seat. Severus, however, was not one to be easily outdone. "As well as ten more points from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn, Potter." Feeling childish and content Severus couldn't help but feel satisfaction as Harry once again began to glower at him. If he were being totally honest Severus would have to admit that he enjoyed these little power struggles they had every so often. They made things more interesting. Turning to Laurel he sent her a glance that said clearly, I win, before returning to his work.

Laurel rolled her eyes at the man's antics. He was so juvenile at times it really was ridiculous. Thinking about the situation Laurel thought briefly about taking points from Malfoy for being the one to throw the rock. It sure would be interesting to see Severus try to give the boy back those points. However she really didn't think it would be worth it. It would frustrate Severus to death, but it would also cause him to make the next few days a living hell. Laurel was willing to push him a little bit, but tried to be careful not to push so hard he would fall over entirely. Turning back to her book she forced herself to study, no matter how much the words seemed to twist and turn around the page.

The next few classes passed in quite a blur, and soon it was time for Lunch. Making her way out of the classroom Laurel began to walk toward the Great Hall, concentrating on the information she had just read. Relaying the information to herself in her head Laurel wasn't paying complete attention to where she was going, and she, quite literally, bumped into someone, both of their possessions falling all over the floor.

Getting to her knees Laurel began to pick up anything she could. "I'm so sorry; I wasn't really watching where I was going."

"That's quite alright Professor Slade," Having picked up most that fell on the floor Laurel looked up from the ground to see Hermione on her knees in front of her. In her hands was the book Severus gave her to study. Currently Hermione was looking at it. Laurel could practically see the cogs turning behind her calculating eyes. "This is quite an elementary book for one pursuing potions to be studying." Hermione lifted her gaze to bore into Laurel's eyes.

Laurel's palms began to sweat. Damned if the girl couldn't be intimidating when she wanted to. "I find it refreshing to brush up on the basics every now and then, if only to make sure I really do remember everything properly." She resisted the urge to add a laugh after, knowing that it would end up sounding strained and nervous.

Hermione still seemed unimpressed. Handing the book back to Laurel she slowly began to pick up papers from the ground. "Yes, in fact I seem unable to recall some basic facts myself. Would you care reminding me what the first ingredient in a Pepper Up potion would be?"

That she could do, it was one of the potions she happened to look over that very day. Smiling brilliantly Laurel said with confidence, "Sliced caterpillars, no larger than a thumbs worth."

"Of course, that's it. How silly of me to forget something like that. I seem to also-"

"Laurel!"

Laurel had never been more pleased that Pippa tended to ignore general rules of decency, such as not interrupting a conversation. Turning slightly Laurel answered, "Just a sec, Pippa," Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth Laurel turned back to Hermione fully intent on escaping the inquiry. All of her belongings in her possession Laurel stood up and dusted herself off lightly. "It appears I'm being beckoned. Was there something else you needed?"

"No," Hermione stood up as well, slightly more subdued than she had been just a moment earlier, "No, I was just about to leave. Thank you so much for your time Professor." Laurel didn't miss the distrustful glance Hermione shot her just before she walked off.

Relief flooding through her body Laurel turned to Pippa. "Hey Pippa, is everything alright?"

"Yes, though everything doesn't seem alright with you. Why on earth were you down on the floor just then?"

Laurel shook her head. "That was nothing. Wasn't paying attention very well and ran into Hermione Granger. She took the opportunity to ask me some questions."

A sour look appeared on Pippa's face. "Sweet Merlin, I've heard about that Granger girl from some of the other teachers. They tell me she's completely brilliant, but has no idea when to leave well enough alone. I wouldn't be surprised if she ran into you on purpose so she could talk to you without worry of you running away."

"Oh no, I'm sure it was an accident," not, "and I was perfectly happy to answer the question she asked." Perfectly happy that she was capable of answering it was more like it.

"Still, I'm just glad that the girl's muggle-born so there's no need for her to take my class."

"You waved me down remember? Was there something you needed?" Laurel asked as they entered the Great Hall."

"That's right, I was wondering if you were busy this Friday."

"Am I ever busy on Friday?" Laurel quipped.

"Well you never know." Pippa stretched out the 'o' in know babyishly. "You could have met some devastatingly handsome man in your free time who swept you off your feet or something. If you had I would expect you to be spending your time with him!"

"You do realize I spend most of my free time with Severus."

Pippa shuddered. "Don't remind me, and technically he doesn't fit the description really, so I get off on a technicality."

Pippa did tend to lose the original point of a conversation easily, "So why did you want to know if I was free Friday?" Placing a particularly juicy piece of steak on her Plate Laurel began to cut into it.

"Oh yes, well I thought it might be fun if we get out for a bit. Before you ask I already checked the schedule and neither of us are supposed to be monitoring the halls Friday night."

Well there went that escape route. "Go out? Where would we be going exactly?" Laurel was a little afraid to know the answer.

Pippa piled an absurd amount of asparagus on her plate, placing some on Laurel's plate as well, Laurel couldn't stand asparagus. "Nowhere too crazy, I promise, but I thought it might be fun to go to a club or something?"

"A club?" Laurel had never been one for clubbing. She wasn't the best drunk in the world, and having a large amount of strangers around her tended to make that worse.

"Yes a club Laurel, come on, it'll be fun I swear. We both need to get out of this castle for a bit. Aren't you going stir crazy all cooped up in here?"

"Not really, I go out for a walk at least once a day."

"That's not the point, Laurel!" Pippa said, waving her fork around dangerously to emphasize her words, "I need to get out then, is that what you wanted to hear? I need to get out and I can't just go by myself, how awful would that be? Please go with me Laurel, I promise we will have fun, and you know I keep my promises!"

Laurel rolled her eyes, doubting she would ever have much fun, the sweaty bodies and ear destroying music never being her idea of a good time, but she couldn't stand letting a friend down, and knew that however much she protested she would end up saying yes eventually, so she got it over with. "Fine, I'll go with you, but I reserve the right to come back as early as I want."

Squealing happily Pippa gave Laurel an awkward side hug with one arm. "You are the best Laurel, really."

Laurel smiled and got back to the meal, wishing that she had the ability to stand up to her friends.

**End Chapter Fourteen**

Hope it was okay!! :D

As always constructive criticism is greatly appreciated and I hope you can tell me what you think! A thanks goes out to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!!

I adore my beta evenstar101, and I think everyone should go read her stories. :D They are wonderfully amazing and brilliant.

Till next time!

*Whoopsydaisy


	15. Spoiled Plans

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

**Chapter Fifteen: Spoiled Plans**

"So I was thinking we could start off in my room right after classes ended. We'll need at least an hour to get completely ready; I have a feeling you'll need a little bit of help with getting the right clothes on. After we're all dressed up and ready to go I think it would be best to get warmed up a little bit first. The drinks at clubs are so expensive that it would be far cheaper for us to finish off the bottle of firewhiskey I have stashed first."

Laurel stared blankly ahead as she headed to the dungeons with Pippa, listening to her go on about everything that they would be doing that night. Really, she had no idea that there was so much you could do in one night before you even got to the main attraction.

"Once we get there we should probably spend at least a little bit of time dancing before we head over to the bar to socialize. If we go straight to the bar it'll look like we're either desperate, or alcoholics, or both for all they know."

She interrupted, "Why don't I just come to your room after classes are finished Pippa, we can go from there."

Pippa's face drooped slightly. "Well that'd be fine, but really we ought to have at the very least some sort of a plan for the night."

"Well, I plan on going over to your room and eventually we'll leave to go have a great night. Is that enough of a plan for you?"

"Personally I think it sounds like a dreadful plan." A deep voice came from behind the girls. "What exactly is it for again?"

Both girls turned to see Severus standing behind them. Laurel smiled at him, and gave a little wave. On the other hand, Pippa's face fell into a frown. "It isn't a plan that involves you."

Severus sneered. "Perhaps you are hard of hearing. I inquired as to what the plan was, not who it would concern."

Before Pippa could open her mouth to respond Laurel turned to her and said, "Well thanks for walking me this far Pippa. I'll see you after classes alright?"

Pippa nodded, but didn't look happy as she walked away. Laurel sighed, 'Things would be so much easier if these two would just get along.'

"Now that she's gone are you going to tell me just what this plan of yours is?" Severus said, as they continued on their way to the dungeons.

Laurel rolled her eyes. "Really Severus, is it necessary for you to provoke her like that?"

He scowled, "I said nothing that wasn't truth. If she chooses to interpret that negatively I am hardly to blame."

The man was insufferable. "Whatever. Pippa's taking me out to some club tonight, and is making it her goal to ensure that I have a wonderful time."

His face stiffened, the expression unreadable, "I see, and just what club are you planning on going to?"

"I'm not sure really, Pippa's got the whole thing worked out, she got a portkey and everything."

"Are you looking forward to going?" He was obviously trying hard to seem indifferent.

Laurel pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. That question was one she actually had to think about. "I always seem to have fun with Pippa, but the whole club environment has never really been something I've enjoyed. The whole loud music, strangers grinding into you, going home with your ears still ringing thing never seemed attractive to me."

"That is good, because you will not be able to go."

She stared at him, "What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I said. You will be otherwise preoccupied tonight, and seeing as it would be impossible for you to be two places at once you will be unable to attend this clubbing event with your dear friend Pippa."

Her eyes narrowed, "You aren't serious, you can't tell me what I can and can't do, I made plans with Pippa days ago, and I'm not going to cancel them just because you say I should."

"I am not merely saying you should, I am telling you that you will. Tonight we must enter the Forbidden Forest to collect sopohorous for a sleeping potion we will be creating tomorrow. Unfortunately I have let my supply run low, but luck seems to be with us as tonight will be a perfect time for to gather more."

She huffed, this all was so unfair! True, she still wasn't sure if she wanted to go with Pippa, but what right did he have to order her around like that? "Can't you just go by yourself or something? I don't see why both of us should have to go."

"As you are my apprentice it is customary for me to show you the proper way to collect ingredients so they will be the most effective in your potions." If they hadn't been in a crowded hallway Laurel would have said just what she thought about that statement. "As I do not know when the next time I will be able to collect this particular ingredient will be, this will be a wonderful learning experience."

The smirk on his face was entirely annoying, and if Laurel was a lesser person she would slap it right off of his face. Luckily for him, she was not. "This is completely ridiculous Severus, if you're going to force me to spend the evening doing work could you at least have the decency to tell me about it before hand? Now I have to cancel my plans with Pippa and I assure you she will not be happy with me."

"I apologize for the inconvenience, and in the future I will take your words into consideration, however I have only just found out I must collect more sopohorous myself. Poppy had a sufficient amount of the potion until this afternoon, when a particularly clumsy student ran into her potions cabinet. We are lucky the sleeping potion is the only one that was broken."

Her shoulders slumped, was it completely impossible to get this man to admit he had done something wrong. "Can't you go without me just for tonight? I promise I'll read up on the best way to collect sopohorous, but I really don't want to cancel on Pippa this close to the actual even itself. It's all she's been talking about for the past few days."

The look on his face told her plainly that he did not care. "Your education is more important than a night out on the town Laurel. I will come to your quarters at around ten o'clock tonight. If I find you are not there the consequences will be unpleasant."

They had arrived at the classroom, and Laurel walked in dejected. Throughout all of the classes Laurel was trying to find a way to break the news to Pippa that their big night out would not be happening after all. When it finally came time for lunch Laurel was seriously considering skipping lunch and feigning illness, if only to avoid all of these people who seemed intent on running her life for her.

Instead, she dragged herself to the Great Hall, and took her regular seat next to Pippa, who was chatting happily with Hagrid when she approached. When she caught sight of Laurel, Pippa grinned, "So don't bother bringing over any of your clothes today, I have the perfect outfit picked out already. I think we're about the same size, so you should have no problem borrowing my clothes right?"

Laurel winced, a guilty look on her face. "About tonight Pippa, I think I'm going to have to cancel on you."

Pippa's brows furrowed, "What? Why?"

"Well, I have to go with Severus to collect some ingredients tonight. Unfortunately he didn't know we would have to go tonight before, otherwise I never would have made plans. I'm so sorry."

By the looks of it Pippa didn't like that explanation too much, her voice lowered to a whisper so the others at the table would not hear what they were saying. "Are you insane Laurel? It's one thing to ditch me tonight, but another thing entirely to ditch me so you can go into the Forbidden Forest with Snape. Did you forget that he's a bloody Death Eater or something?"

Laurel made a nasty face, "That's just a rumor Pippa, and a spiteful one at that. I actually talked to him and he assured me he was loyal to Dumbledore. That would be rather difficult for him to do if he's also a Death Eater."

Pippa snorted, "Of course he would tell you that. What? Did you expect him to say, 'oh yes Laurel, why I have been a Death Eater for a long time now, promise you won't tell?' He would have to be a complete idiot to tell you that."

'Well, I suppose that is true,' Laurel thought, but immediately chastised herself, 'I shouldn't think like that. Severus told me he was loyal to Dumbledore and I should respect that.' To Pippa she said, "Well now you know where I'll be, so if my mangled bloody corpse shows up in the forest you'll know who to lead the authorities to."

Pippa shivered, "Don't even joke like that. Besides, if he were going to kill you I doubt he'd leave a body."

Laurel stared at her, "You're serious aren't you? I don't get it, why do you hate him so much? He's a little rough around the edges and mean sometimes, but overall he seems like a decent person."

Placing her fork on the table Pippa turned to her friend, more serious than Laurel had ever seen her before. "I don't hate him or anything, but I want you to be safe. You're a good person Laurel, and you're able to put up with me. Not many people are willing to do that believe it or not. The way he looks at you... I just think you'd be better off not being around him so much."

Now this was curious, her elbow on the table Laurel rested her chin on her hand. "What do you mean? How does he look at me?"

Pippa shook her head, "I don't know, like he wants to gobble you up or something."

A look of belief crossed her face. "Gobble me up? So now he's not only a Death Eater, but a cannibal too?"

Rolling her eyes Pippa picked up her fork and started on her food again. "Don't be so literal Laurel, I didn't mean it like that. When he looks at you I can just tell that he wants to get to know you a little too well if you know what I mean."

Apparently Laurel didn't. "Well, we don't really know much about each other yet, and we are trying to get to know each other more so I suppose that makes sense."

"Geez Laurel, are you really so naïve? He wants to have sex with you." Laurel's eyes widened. "Finally! You understand now, don't you? I just don't feel comfortable with you getting involved with someone like him. All he's going to do is hurt you."

She nodded, slightly dazed, and the rest of the meal passed uneventfully, as Laurel tried to process just what Pippa told her, not sure exactly how she felt about it. One part of her almost wanted Severus, and she had already admitted she was attracted to him, but Laurel wasn't sure she just wanted sex. Sex is fun, but Laurel had never been one for one night stands, especially with someone who was technically her boss.

Laurel's eyes widened as she remembered Severus was her boss, and attempted to shun all thoughts of sex with him from her mind. That would not be proper at all. Regardless, all throughout the rest of classes, and even when she sat in her room after, Severus was always on the edge of her thoughts.

It was almost a relief when, at exactly ten, she heard someone at the entrance to her room. Opening up the door she saw Severus, and all his dark billowy glory.

"We shouldn't dawdle, the plant will be best should we collect it before midnight, and we should get as much as possible."

She nodded, and the pair began their walk to the Forbidden Forest, all the way Severus described the best way to collect sopohorous. They talked about nothing other than the plant, and proper treatment of it, Severus answering every question Laurel had sufficiently. While her conversation with Pippa was still lingering on the edge of her mind, it was so much easier to ignore it completely when he was being so professional.

Entering the Forbidden Forest Severus came to a stop in a small clearing. "It is likely a superfluous amount of sopohorous will be growing in the area around here. We shall be collecting the plant separately; however it would be wise for you to remain close."

"I'm pretty sure I could find my way out of the forest by myself if I needed too."

The grin that came onto his lips was chilling. "I trust that you could, however that is not why you should stay close. I suggested it so in case you should one of the creatures here attack you I will be able to hear your scream so I might be able to assist you should I feel the need."

A chill racked her body, and she let out a nervous laugh. "That's a joke right? There can't be anything too dangerous in here."An unsettling smile was her only response as Severus turned and began his work.

Turning around Laurel looked with terrified eyes around the forest. Dwelling on what Severus just said her mind began playing tricks on her, and she saw shadows move beside her, or felt phantom creatures crawling up her back. Moving a short distance away, careful to stay close as requested, Laurel began her own work.

The work itself wasn't horrible, though after a while the grimy feeling on her hands, and the way her fingers began to lose feeling grew quite uncomfortable. She bent over slightly to collect more of the plant, when the sound of hooves pounding on the ground caught her attention.

Confused, as she didn't think many horses lived in woods, Laurel tried to ignore the sound, passing it off as her imagination running away with her. The noise, however, continued to grow louder. She stilled as the hooves clopped on the floor until they sounded as though they were right behind her. It was only then the sounds stopped.

Looking over her shoulder carefully Laurel let out a small scream and scrambled away from the sight that met her eyes. There, right behind her, stood a creature with four hoofed feet, and the torso, arms, and head of a human. It was a living, breathing, honest to goodness centaur.

One lone hoof stomped on the ground impatiently as the two stared at each other, one pair of eyes filled with awe, the other with something akin to disdain. Laurel was the first to break eye contact, her eyes lowering to the ground.

Only after Laurel broke eye contact did the centaur turn his head to look at Severus, and he spoke. "Why have you brought this creature into our forest Severus Snape?"

If the centaur didn't look so grim Laurel probably would have laughed. The idea of being called a 'creature' by a centaur was quite amusing. As it was, she merely looked to Severus, who clearly did not find anything amusing right now.

"This girl is studying under me for the time being, I am showing her the proper way to gather sopohorous."

"She is not welcome here."

"She is not to be harmed Magorian." All of a sudden it was more difficult to find humor in the situation. If this centaur wanted to do damage to her she doubted there was anything Severus could do to stop him.

Magorian took a few steps toward Severus, his entire being radiating raw power. "The stars told nothing of her arrival here. She is unnatural."

'Now that was just plain rude.' Laurel thought. She had been called many things throughout her life, but this was the first time someone called her unnatural.

Severus looked as though he were debating with himself before he spoke. "She has an innate resistance to magic. Perhaps this affects how much can be divined from her future." Laurel frowned, so much for not telling anyone about her secret, though she supposed she would have to trust Severus' judgment.

It was hard to have faith in Severus though, when the centaur's face merely darkened. "For the stars to not tell of her arrival can only mean one thing," The centaur turned to face her, and Laurel shivered under the intensity of his gaze, "She is not supposed to be here."

When the centaur took a step toward her Laurel could not help but scramble backwards in an attempt to create distance. Severus' voice rose in an attempt to regain the centaur's attention, "She is under the protection of Albus Dumbledore, Magorian."

The centaur paused only briefly to speak, "We hold no allegiance to that man and those who follow him."

"Would you be willing to face his retribution then?"

The centaur stopped abruptly as he whipped around, and faster than Laurel thought should be possible he was standing in front of Severus. "You dare threaten us?"

Severus stood strong, facing the centaur that could disable him with one well aimed kick. Laurel had to admit the man had some serious balls. "I would never do such a thing, however it is unlikely Dumbledore will let it go unnoticed should you harm a member of his staff."

To Laurel's relief the centaur seemed to calm slightly, as he backed away from Severus. "Yes, I suppose that is unlikely." The centaur sent a fierce look in Laurel's direction, "The girl will not be harmed if you leave now. Consider this your fair warning, should we find her in our forest again we will not hesitate to destroy her. This is our territory as far as we are concerned, and we will do what is necessary to maintain order."

Severus nodded, and walked over to Laurel. Without a word he offered his hand, and helped her up from the ground, ushering her away from where the centaur stood. Before they had gone too far they heard the voice of the centaur come from behind them. "She does not belong here. To keep her is foolish. You would be wise to do away with her."

Laurel could feel Severus' body tense behind her as he heard the words. Turning her head slightly Laurel looked up at his face, and was shocked at the amount of anger it held. She wasn't sure she had ever seen him this furious, not even after their disastrous game of chess. Not sure what to do Laurel turned her head back, and continued to walk silently.

It wasn't until they were out of the forest that Severus began to talk. It was really more of an annoyed murmurs under his breath, but loud enough that Laurel could hear every word. "Completely and utterly ridiculous. Is it entirely impossible to get anything done here? Damned centaurs think they rule the damned forest."

His murmured rant continued until Laurel spoke up, "You can go back and collect more sopohorous if you want. I don't mind walking back to the castle by myself."

Severus looked down at her surprise clear on his face; almost as though he had forgotten she was there. "That is not necessary. I believe I have collected enough for the time being."

They walked in silence for a while before Severus spoke again, "I hope it has become quite clear to you that you are never, under any circumstances, to enter the Forbidden Forest again."

She shivered slightly, and not from the cold of the night. This whole thing was slightly overwhelming. Instead of saying anything she just gave him a slight smile, though from the look on his face that was the last thing he had wanted. Turning his whole body to face her Severus reached out his hands and grasped her shoulders firmly, staring intensely into her eyes.

"By no means is this something to smile about. Magorian did not need to let us leave as peacefully as he did, and should he find you there again..." His voice trailed off as he broke eye contact and dropped his hands from her shoulder. He took a few steps toward the castle before Laurel heard him say, "If only for this once take my word as truth and leave it at that."

The walk back to the castle was slow, and silent.

**End Chapter Fifteen**

A/N:

Ah lovely centaurs. I always imagined them way more creepy and mean than most of my friends did. :)

I probably won't be able to update for at least a week, going to be busy with my actual life for once, but I will post the next chapter as soon as I can.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Questions and comments are encouraged and cherished! And cheers to my wonderful beta evenstar101!!!


	16. Halloween Happenings

Disclaimer: So not mine at all.

**Chapter Sixteen: Halloween Happenings**

Halloween had always been Laurel's favorite holiday. It was a chance for her to leave her normally mousy personality behind and become someone different. She could be brave, feisty, sexy, strong, anything she wanted to be. This year, she chose to be Pippi Longstocking.

Well, she didn't choose it so much as it was the only thing she could scrape together. The magical world may be bright and interesting, but it didn't have much in the way of costume shops. Pippa informed her that the majority of people in the magical community don't actually celebrate the holiday, and most of the one's who do are trying to be ironic.

Still, Pippa had told her it would be fun to dress up for the night, and spend it out in muggle London, and Laurel, for once, agreed with her completely. She had been rummaging through her belongings looking for an idea for a costume, when she found the red wig she had used a few years earlier when she dressed up as Ariel. She knew that without too much trouble she could throw together a Pippi Longstocking costume. She had a large blue shirt, and she could easily put some patches on it. Long, mismatched socks were lent courtesy of Pippa, and she had some old boots that would be just perfect. It wasn't the best costume in the world, but it would have to do.

After classes on Halloween, Pippa and Laurel met in Laurel's room to put the finishing touches on their costumes. Laurel was still having trouble figuring out how to get the braids on her wig to stand out to the sides.

Her current attempt of braiding the hair over a wire was turning out quite messy. She groaned in frustration. "Gods Pippa, you should have told me I was completely retarded for wanting to be Pippi Longstocking. Seriously, I doubt much could be more exasperating than this is right now."

Pippa was artistically spreading the blood splatters on her Carrie "after prom" costume, "Just use a spell or something. If I didn't know any better I would think you were the muggle studies teacher here considering the way you insist on doing things like a muggle would." She said distractedly, trying to charm the hem of her dress to constantly drip a blood like substance on the ground.

Laurel made a face; she had almost forgotten Pippa didn't know that she actually _was_ a muggle. Giving a weak smile she said, "Well, you know me. The easy way of doing things is too annoying really." She laughed, trying to make it seem like a joke.

Pippa just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Do what you want."

When they were all ready Pippa got out the portkey she had gotten for that night, and they used it to go to an alley outside the club they were going to. It was a muggle one, and one that Pippa had apparently been dying to go to. Various cliché Halloween decorations such as spiders and skeletons littered both the outside and inside of the club.

Inside, the music was loud, the lights low, and the people moving. It was nothing exceptional, little more than your average club, and Laurel, made more brave by the shots she had taken earlier with Pippa, followed her companion out to the dance floor, and let loose.

She was hardly the best dancer in the world, but she didn't care. It was nice, every once in a while to toss away your inhibitions, and move your body along with a song. The alcohol coursing through her veins made it more fun as well.

Not too long after she went out on the floor, Laurel looked over to Pippa, only to see that the girl had begun to dance with one of the many males crowding the floor. Suddenly, she felt like an intruder, a third wheel to their party. Making her way through the crowd she sat at the bar, and just watched the crowd.

Most of the costumes were just pathetic, ranging from people covered in white bed sheets to girls wearing fake cat ears. Some of the costumes were more interesting though, such as a Waldo, from "Where's Waldo" and even Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum.

Laurel was so engrossed in watching the crowd that she barely even noticed when the bartender came up behind her, "Is there anything you want to drink?"

Laurel turned to see a 'pirate', a.k.a. a man with an eye patch on, behind the bar. Smiling at him she said, "I don't really have any money with me, would a glass of water be free?"

The bartender nodded, but before he could leave to get her water a voice spoke up from the stool next to her. "Get the girl a Cosmo, I'll pay." The bartender nodded once more, before walking off to fill the order.

Turning to her side Laurel looked at the man who would be supplying her drink, feeling obligated to talk to him. When she saw him it became obvious that talking to him wouldn't be too much of a chore.

Dressed as though he was a character out of a Jane Austen novel, the man could only be described as beautiful, with a smooth face, gorgeous blue eyes, and short blonde hair. She smiled at him, "Thank you, but you didn't need to buy me anything."

The stranger smiled back. Good God, he had the most adorable dimples. "I know, but it was something I wanted to do. A girl as cute as you shouldn't have to pay for her own drinks." Laurel, never much of one to flirt with complete strangers, wasn't sure what to say to that, and was glad when he continued to speak, "What exactly are you anyway?"

The question stunned her for a moment before she realized he was asking about her costume. "Pippi Longstocking," She could see his eyes light up in recognition, "I thought it would be a fun idea, but not only were these stupid braids ridiculously difficult to make, but they keep on hitting people."

He laughed, "Yeah, well, as cumbersome as they may be I have to admit they make you look quite adorable." Laurel couldn't suppress the blush that came to her face, "Plus, at least you put some thought into your costume, me I just went into a thrift store and grabbed the oldest looking clothes I could find, I didn't even choose a character."

"Oh, well we can fix that then, let me see," Leaning in slightly Laurel tapped one finger on her lip, "I know, you can be Colonel Brandon."

At his confused look Laurel raised both brows in shock, "Really? You don't know? He's from Sense and Sensibility, you know, by Jane Austen?"

"Ah," He nodded in recognition, at least he knew who Jane Austen was, and "Well I was never much one for reading."

"They made movies too you know, a lot of them." She grinned playfully, "I guess Colonel Brandon doesn't fit entirely though, you don't seem like the quiet broody type to me."

Her grin was returned, as he spread his arms to the side as if to say, 'so what?' "Well it is Halloween, and I am supposed to be a different person, right?"

Laurel nodded, as the conversation began to lull, taking a sip from her drink, which had arrived moments earlier, she expected him to walk away to find someone else, and was surprised when he spoke to her again, "I could call you Pippi all night, but somehow I'd feel better knowing your real name if that's alright."

"That's no problem at all, I'm Laurel." She held out her hand to meet his, and was pleasantly surprised with his warm, strong grip.

"It is lovely to meet you Laurel, you may call me Dom."

Laurel looked at him carefully, "I may call you Dom as in it's actually your name or you just want me to use it because you get some sort of weirdo kick from it."

Dom let out a full belly laugh in a deep baritone that sent shivers down Laurel's spine, "You're a clever one. Technically my 'real' name is Dominic, but I do prefer to be called Dom."

"Alrighty then, it's great to meet you Dom."

"So do you live around here?"

Laurel thought carefully, she obviously couldn't tell him where she was actually living, but lies were easily caught. She resisted the wicked grin that tried to find its way onto her face as she decided to have a little bit of fun, "I live in a magical castle filled with witches, wizards, ghosts, and a myriad of other magical creatures."

Dom held up his hands in surrender, "All right, I get it, too much information. Technically though didn't Pippi live on a ship with her dad?"

Laurel grinned, it was always fun to talk to a man who knew his classics, "Yeah, if you want to go with her life before the actual movie. During most of my favorite version she lived in her own little house."

This time Dom was the one to lean in closer, "You pick favorites? I'm sure that there's a Pippi out there that is sorely hurt by that."

She gasped dramatically, more than willing to play along with this game, "Oh no, I would never mean to do anything like that. I have nothing against the other Pippi's it's just that I grew up with the 1988 Pippi. I grew attached you know?"

Dom leaned in even closer, beginning to encroach her personal space, "I know, you seem like much too kind a person to intentionally hurt anyone like that, fictional or no." His hand reached out and rested lightly on her knee.

Okay, definite invasion of space here now.

Laurel tried to be okay with this. Dom was a great looking guy, a nice guy who seemed interested in her, and she would be crazy to not enjoy his attention, but still there was a feeling nagging in the back of her mind that this was wrong, that she shouldn't share anything intimate, at least not with him.

While Laurel was pondering her thoughts, Dom apparently took her silence as a sign of approval, and quickly he was leaning in for what Laurel could only assume would turn out to be a kiss.

Holding her hands up Laurel pushed lightly on his chest, standing up from her seat, suddenly eager to get away. Smiling kindly, albeit a bit awkwardly, Laurel thought up a quick excuse. "Listen, I think I need to find my friend. I haven't seen her for a while and I should make sure she's okay, you know? Bye." Not brave enough to look Dom in the face Laurel quickly made her way to the dance floor.

Before the dance floor had seemed relatively accepting, fun, the people dancing around her fueling the excitement. Now, however, those same people smothered her, making Laurel feel claustrophobic. She pushed her way through the mass of heated, sweaty bodies, trying to ignore the feeling of strangers rubbing up against her, or the occasional wandering hand.

Laurel nearly cried out in relief when she finally found Pippa, and quickly grabbed her hand, pulling her away from the man she had been dancing with, and quickly exiting the dance floor.

"What's wrong?" Pippa asked as soon as they stopped moving, "Is everything alright?"

Laurel squeezed her eyes shut, trying hard not to be annoyed with her friend. She was honestly concerned right now, and it wasn't her fault that clubs were never exactly Laurel's favorite place to visit. Still, Laurel couldn't stand it when someone asked the same question in two different ways. Really, it's just annoying.

Still, she answered, "Yeah, everything's fine. I just want to go home, I'm kind of tired."

Pippa frowned, but the pair quickly exited the club and found their way to the alley they had first appeared in. Handing the portkey to Laurel Pippa said, "I'm going to stay a while longer if you don't mind, but you can go ahead and take the portkey back. I'll apparate right outside the protective spells Hogwarts has and walk from there."

Staring at the object in her hand Laurel wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. She had seen others tap it with their want to activate it, but that obviously wasn't an option for Laurel. Looking up sheepishly she asked, "Could you do it for me? I left my wand at home."

Laurel's heart stopped for a second as Pippa looked at her curiously, but was relieved when she didn't actually say anything. Instead, she got out her own want, and Laurel soon found herself back inside Hogwarts.

When Laurel got to her room the first thing she did was fall down on her bed, closing her eyes lightly, almost ready to go to sleep right then and there. Sitting up, she looked around the room, and was struck with a sudden sense of loneliness. It was Halloween night, and she was in the prime of her life, she didn't think it was right to be alone on what should be an exciting evening.

Her mind wandered, and as it tends to do it settled on the dark potions master. She knew for a fact that he hadn't gone anywhere today, in fact, he had seemed more miserable than usual. Laurel thought briefly about inviting him, but didn't really think he would accept, so she didn't bother.

Now, she was really regretting that. If she felt alone she could only imagine he felt the feeling tenfold. After all, at least she had been out for part of the night. He had been stuck in the castle all night. No doubt he was wallowing in pitiful misery right now.

A smile slid over Laurel's face as she realized she could solve the loneliness issue for both her and Severus. Running over to her cabinet she dug out the bottle of firewhiskey she had been working on with Pippa, and a stack of Dixie cups. Quickly, she made her way down to the dungeons to pay a surprise visit to one Severus Snape.

Arriving at the classroom she pushed the door open quietly, and snuck in. She expected Severus would be in his room, and wasn't particularly looking forward to going in there again without his invitation, so she was pleasantly surprised when she saw him sitting at his desk, scowling at a piece of paper.

"Ahoy!" She shouted loudly, shocking Severus out of his working stupor.

He looked at her with a raised brow, "What on earth are you wearing?"

Oops, she had forgotten to change from her Pippi costume. She smiled sheepishly, "Well it is Halloween, and I just felt like upholding the tradition and dressing up as something I am not. I'm Pippi Longstocking in case you wanted to know."

He scowled, "I did not, and Halloween ended more than an hour ago. Now what exactly are you doing here?"

Under his intimidating gaze she had to wonder if this was a good thing to do. She shrugged, "I just felt like you might want some company." She held up the firewhiskey as though offering a truce. "I brought beverages."

"I most certainly do not. You may leave now." His gaze traveled back to the documents on his desk.

"Why?" She felt a little childish for asking, but honestly, she wanted to know.

"I am working."

"You're always working." Definitely childish now.

"Just _leave_!" Severus nearly shouted the last word, as he slammed his fist on his desk, the bang echoing throughout the empty classroom. His hands flew to his face as he rubbed his temple, and ran a hand through his hair.

Laurel jumped, shocked by this display of temper. Usually he was so calm, so collected, and demonstrated little emotion. The raw fury his voice held was unusual.

A thought popped into Laurel's head and her eyes soften as she looked at him. It all made sense suddenly, and Laurel debated whether or not she should actually do anything about it. Recklessly, she decided to question, "So, who died on Halloween?"

His eyes lit with surprise, before he quickly smothered the emotion. "I haven't an idea what you are talking of."

She smiled sadly, "I do the exact same thing you know. My mom died on February fifteenth, two days before my birthday. On the first anniversary I locked myself in my room, avoiding everything and everyone. In the years since then, I think I've learned to deal with it a bit better. I still call in sick from work, and keep away from all of my friends, but I also go visit her grave every year, you know, bring her some flowers. I take the day off to remember her, because I feel like if I don't, who will?"

Severus snorted, "Believe me, there will be no shortage of people to remember Lily."

She tried not to smile too brightly at his slip up, afraid that it might not be too appropriate for the situation. "So you admit it, someone you cared about died. She must have been someone special to you."

After she spoke the words Laurel felt a strange pang of sadness in her chest, but she ignored it decidedly. It would be silly to be jealous of someone who wasn't around anymore, wouldn't it?

Severus' face hardened as he let out a coarse laugh, "Love? Hardly. No, I mourn this day because if it weren't for me, her death would not have occurred. I might as well have killed her myself."

She shivered at his harsh tone, "You can't take the blame for it Severus, I felt guilty when my mother died too, but there's nothing either of us could have done."

"Stop comparing me to you, we are nothing alike." Severus pushed himself up from his desk and walked toward her angrily, "I do not say I caused her death out of guilt, but because it is a mere fact. I am the reason she was killed on this day so many years ago."

She shook her head stubbornly, "I don't believe that."

"Why?"

"You're a good person; for all that you seem intent on proving otherwise. You couldn't have done something like that!"

"That is where logic fails you Ms. Slade," He smiled cruelly, standing right in front of her, towering over her, intimidating, "I am a horrific fiend of a man, and you would do well to remember that fact."

Her eyes lowered, "I can't believe that Severus."

"Believe it." He sneered unpleasantly, "I have hurt people, and I have done terrible things."

"No."

"I've destroyed people, lives. I'm responsible for tearing families apart."

"Stop it." Her lip began to quiver, and she backed away from him slightly.

"I have stood against everything decent, and I enjoyed it."

"Why are you doing this?"

He scoffed, "Doing what exactly? Telling you the truth about myself, telling you the things you've been trying so hard to ignore?"

"No," Her eyes began to water, and she wanted to run away, but she stood her ground. "Why are you pushing me away?"

The dark look in his eyes scared her as he spoke the words that would break her, "Simple girl, I can hardly push you away, you have yet to become close enough for me to do so."

It was like a slap to the face, and the tears that had been welling in her eyes began to cascade down her smooth cheeks. She turned, and ran from the room.

It felt irrational, it made little sense, but his words hurt her more than she could have imagined. While she had yet to fool herself into believing Severus held real feelings for her, to hear him say that he felt she wasn't close at all, it stung.

She always saw the way he acted with others, the way he shied away from any real interactions, and the way that he seemed different around her. When he was with her he would joke, he would make playful comments and smile when she did the same.

He would touch her, only briefly, on the arm, the face. They were little more than short grazes across her skin, and yet she craved the contact. She loved the feeling of his harsh fingers, callused from years of brewing potions, running across her skin.

He opened up to her, and she had allowed herself to do the same, perhaps that's why the words he said hurt so much. They were simple words, small, easy to understand, and impossible to interpret differently. He had said in plain words what he was thinking and he had to have known it would hurt her, he wanted to hurt her.

When Laurel went to sleep that night, her head rested on a pillow stained with her own tears.

**End Chapter Sixteen**

A/N:

I didn't mean to do it, honestly! They were supposed to have a nice chat with an emo Severus but then Severus got all angry and mean. It wasn't my fault! . In my opinion it's better than Laurel staying with sleazy hot guy at the club, right?

Thanks much to everyone who reviewed! Two Hundred reviews exactly! :) I shall shower you guys with hugs of love!

Grand thanks also to my beta evenstar101. :) She is amazing and awesomely cool in case you guys didn't know that.

*Whoopsydaisy


	17. Accusations

Disclaimer: Surprise! I do not own Harry Potter! :O

**Chapter Seventeen: Accusations**

Severus had never felt like such a gigantic ass.

Well, that wasn't completely true, but this time was some heavy competition. Even though it was days after Halloween he still felt as though he was an absolute jerk.

He hadn't meant to be as harsh as he had been; really he was quite touched by her actions. She had come to be with him when she thought he would be lonely. It was a nice sentiment really; it was something you should do for someone you care about.

That was probably the only thing consoling him right now.

While he felt horrible, and truly hated hurting her feelings, he couldn't help but be glad that he had managed to keep his distance from her. Her words hadn't been wrong at all, but he has his reasons for acting the way he does. He was in the habit of hurting the people that cared for him and Laurel was not someone he wanted to see hurt, especially if he is the one to cause her pain.

The emotional pain she might be feeling was nothing compared to the physical pain she would surely be forced to endure if she became too close to him. It was only inevitable, and it was something he would try his damndest to fight against.

When Severus heard the door to his classroom open he knew it was Laurel. He recognized her careful footsteps, and the cautious way she opened the door.

At first, he was surprised she was coming early to the class. He had thought she wouldn't want to see him for a long while. Then, he couldn't help but think of the last time they had argued. The girl had spent nearly that whole day trying to find him, to apologize when she had done little wrong. Perhaps she was here to apologize again, when it was clearly he who was in the wrong.

His heart felt light and heavy at the same time. He couldn't even imagine how lucky he was, to have someone care so much about him that they would swallow their pride and apologize when they had done little wrong. Still, he couldn't help but be slightly upset at the ridiculous stubbornness that this girl continued to display. Here he was trying desperately to keep her away, to keep her at a safe distance, and she insisted on ruining all of his hard work by being forgiving.

When he finally met her eyes, however, he saw the stony, determined glint, and knew that whatever she had come for, it was definitely not to apologize.

Looking at him she closed her eyes tightly and bit her bottom lip harshly before beginning to speak. "Good morning Professor."

Three little words. It was just those three words coming out of her mouth that sent a pang of sadness coursing throughout his body. Even when he had been horrible to her, even when he hadn't wanted her to she had called him by his first name. Now, she couldn't even bring herself to use his surname, and the unfamiliarity of it hit home hard.

"It might be Ms. Slade." He returned in kind, trying not to show just how hard her words affected him. "You are here rather early."

She nodded, and he saw for the first time just how tired she looked. She must not have gotten much sleep last night. If anything that made him feel worse.

Laurel cast a glance over her shoulder to the door of the classroom, as though debating whether or not to run away, but turned back quickly and stood up straight, shoulders set strongly. "I'm just here to tell you that I'm not sorry."

His suspicions confirmed, Severus fought his disappointment and tried to convince himself that this was for the best. "Is that so?"

"Yes, I know I did last time, but I felt I had to then. I asked a question that was inappropriate and tried to force you to answer it. You made me angry then and I was acting irrationally and I admitted that. That's why I apologized last time we had a disagreement, but last night all I was trying to do was give you some company. I did nothing to provoke your anger at me." She was rambling, and her face flushed brightly when she realized it. She tended to babble when she was nervous; it was one of her more endearing habits. Obviously this was very difficult for her. "I did nothing wrong last night, and I wanted to let you know that."

He stared at her coolly, "Thank you for sharing that with me Ms. Slade, is that all?"

He almost laughed at the way she shuffled her feet. Obviously she was expecting a different response from him, and his nonchalant attitude had caused her courage to fly out the window. She stared at the floor, hands clasped lightly behind her back. To him, she was the picture of blissful ignorance.

She had never known trouble, never encountered strife, and wasn't fit for the world she had been forced into. If anything her actions proved to him that he was doing the right thing keeping his distance, it would be best for all if they kept separate. Severus lost his own innocence far too early, and many years ago. It was not something he took for granted any more, and if she had it, he wanted her to be able to retain it.

"No." She said in response to his question, and he was honestly surprised with the answer. He had been expecting her to quietly take her seat, but apparently she had more to say. The girl was growing quite the backbone. "I'm angry at you, and I think you deserve to know that. You hurt my feelings, and it will take a while for me to be okay with you."

He sneered, "As interesting as that is I'm sure you have quite a bit of studying to do before class starts. Take your seat Ms. Slade."

Her eyes darkened as she did as he told her to do without even a word. Severus looked at her, intrigued by the way she stared determinedly into her book, reading furiously. She had always been a dedicated studier, but she seemed to be focusing on the text too hard, and realized that she was decidedly ignoring him. He frowned, not sure how he liked this new development.

Before he could think on it too long, students began to enter the classroom. His brain began formulating a plan before all of the students had even entered the room. He was determined to make her act as she usually does.

He could hardly wait for the students to take their seats, and tried to keep his gaze from drifting over to Laurel. When the class began he smiled, a sight that scared most of the students more than his usual expression of contempt.

"Today, students, we will be working on Gregory's Unctuous Unction. Can anyone tell me what exactly this potion does?"

A few students raised their hands, obviously having looked over the plans for that day, but Severus ignored them, picking instead, "Lavender Brown." The girl in question raised her hand, her brows creased and face definitely worried, "Can you tell me more about this potion?"

"Well," Her fingers fiddled with her quill nervously, "It was invented by a man named Gregory." She smiled sheepishly, as a few of her fellow Gryffindors let out small chuckles.

Severus was not nearly as amused. He sneered, "Ten points from Gryffindor for your redundant answer, Ms. Brown. That was not the answer I was looking for and you were very well aware of that."

Severus risked a brief glance toward Laurel, and was infuriated when she wasn't even looking up from her book. Just a few days ago she would have been more than happy to interrupt and point out just how unfair Severus was being, but now she completely ignored the situation. Had he really angered her that much?

Instead of switching his question to a Slytherin student, as he had originally intended, Severus did something that no decent teacher would ever do, he presented Lavender with the same question. "Well Ms. Brown, are you going to answer my question or not?" He knew she didn't know anything about the potion, as did everyone else in the classroom, and asking her the question again was setting her up for failure.

Lavender's eyes widened and Severus could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she searched desperately for any detail about this potion. "Well..." She was trying to buy time, stuttering and delaying.

He tapped his fingers impatiently on the desk, "Another ten points from Gryffindor Ms. Brown. Really, all we need is to hear something about this potion. Is that so much to ask?"

He tried to ignore the way Lavender's face flushed with embarrassment, and tears filled her eyes. He prided himself on his teaching, and though he was not partial to Gryffindors what he was doing was little more than harassment. Nothing good would come of this, and nothing would be learned by any of the students.

He was rewarded, however, when his eyes drifted to the side he saw Laurel looking out at the classroom, a slight frown on her face. She was close to shouting out at him, he could tell.

"Ten points Ms. Brown, that's thirty so far." He said loudly, raising his voice as though he were angry, "Really, one would think you could have thought of something by now."

"It is a potion that causes the drinker to believe that the provider of the drink is her friend." The voice of Hermione Granger came to Lavender Brown's rescue as she stared defiantly at Severus, clearly upset, "Sir." She added, bitingly, and a bit ironically.

Severus glowered when he realized that Laurel had gone back to her book, a satisfied smile on her face. 'Damned students standing up for themselves.' He thought, certain that now she would say nothing. "Thirty points from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn Ms. Granger. Your description of the potion, however improperly presented, is indeed correct." He had to force the admission out of his mouth.

As he had expected Laurel did not speak at all for the rest of the class, or the class after that. In fact, Laurel did not speak at all, and when it was time for the lunch break Laurel shot out of the room faster than most of the students.

Severus stood from his desk. Against his better instincts he decided to follow her. While he wasn't sure he could present her with an apology he wanted to talk to her, just to hear her voice, even if said voice was screaming angrily at him.

Unfortunately before he got too far down the hallway he was stopped by a voice calling out to him. Turning he saw Poppy walking toward him.

"Good evening Poppy, is this absolutely urgent? There is something I should be attending to at the moment." He tried to excuse himself graciously, wanting to find Laurel as soon as he could.

"Oh I wouldn't call it urgent, but it is a matter I wish to discuss now." Severus fought the urge to roll his eyes. That would be the definition of urgent. "I believe it is correct if I assume you have already brewed the Warming Potion I requested a while ago."

He pushed down his frustration, knowing that he had to answer her question. Business must come before personal issues, "Of course I did," He spoke shortly, and a bit rudely, "I am intelligent enough to know the potion requires time to sit before it can be effective."

"Alright, don't get your knickers in a twist Severus." Poppy had never been one to be intimidated by Severus. "It's starting to snow and I thought it might be best for me to have at least one bottle in the infirmary in case any situation arises where I need it immediately."

He nodded absently, looking down the hallway to see if he could spot Laurel. He knew it was useless of course, by now she must be much further than just down the hallway. Poppy obviously noticed just how distracted Severus was. "What on earth is wrong with you Severus, you're acting as though your favorite cauldron sprouted legs and ran away from you."

He shot her a scalding look. "As I informed you, I have something I must attend to, and I would appreciate it if you would allow me to get to it."

She looked at him curiously, "You have something vital to do that is outside of your dungeons? Are you sure you are actually Severus Snape?"

He scowled, "Poppy I swear to you, if you allow me to leave I will get you your damned warming potion before tomorrow night. Otherwise all bets are off."

She had the gall to laugh at him, "Fine, go do whatever it is that needs doing. Don't let me hold you up."

He practically shot down the hall, slowing down only when he knew he was far enough away that Poppy could not call him back. He wandered aimlessly, not knowing where he was going. He knew it was unlikely he would actually find Laurel, the castle was enormous after all, but he couldn't just sit in the Great Hall and eat his meal. He was too restless for that.

He was about to turn down a hall when he heard a voice, one he had heard little of all day. "Listen Ms. Granger, I really think any questions you have would be better directed at Professor Snape." Wonderful, apparently Granger wasn't quite done pestering Laurel.

"I don't have any questions he could answer _Professor_," The student's calculating voice came, it was clear she was not happy with something. "I have some questions for you, and you're in luck, they don't deal with potions so you may just be able to answer them correctly."

The disdain in the girl's voice was obvious. Severus debated stepping in right then, but he needed to see just how much the girl thought she knew. If he could disprove her theories it would be a lot less dangerous than if she were to go to Potter or Weasley with her ponderings.

"We should get to lunch now. I'm sure you would be upset if you had to wait until dinner to get food." The fear in Laurel's voice was almost palpable, and it almost made Severus re-think waiting. She knew Hermione was on to something, and didn't want her secret to be revealed.

Hermione ignored Laurel, and continued to speak. "Honestly you really aren't too good at hiding things. If you're going to pretend to be a potions student you might just want to have some knowledge in potions."

Though he couldn't see Laurel he knew that her face was lit with a bright blush, "I don't know what you're talking about." Severus almost let out a loud snort. It was obvious she was lying. That was something she desperately needed to work on.

"Neville cast that spell perfectly. His wand movements were precise and there was nothing wrong with his pronunciation. So I am very curious as to why it didn't affect you. Would you be willing to tell me why?"

"I really don't think I should-"

"Oh trust me, you should." Hermione cut her off, "We do not take kindly to liars here, and I am very willing to do whatever is necessary to make sure you don't harm anyone here."

"I'm not going to harm anyone!" He could hear the indignation in Laurel's voice, "What? So just because there's something off about me all of a sudden I'm a danger to everyone?"

"I learned long ago that people only keep secrets when they mean no good. There are ways that I can make you talk you know."

The silence was thick after that statement, and Severus himself wasn't sure how to react. He had known Granger would be upset Laurel was hiding something, and would want to protect her dear friend Potter, but he didn't expect her to go threatening anyone. This war had forced the girl to ridiculous lengths.

He decided it was time to step in. Walking toward the voices he was shocked to see Granger holding her wand out at Laurel. Alarmed, and glad he interfered not a moment later, Severus yelled, "Ms. Granger, just what is going on here?"

If the situation had been different he might have been happy to see the relief on Laurel's face, but as it was she probably would have been relieved if Voldemort himself had showed up.

Severus had been hoping to shock Granger out of her transfixion on Laurel, but her eyes never moved, and her wand didn't waver. "Professor, I'm glad you're here." He raised one eyebrow at that. Clearly the girl didn't know that he wasn't on her side right now. "I believe there are some things this woman has been failing to tell us. Honestly, I'm having my doubts as to whether or not she is actually a witch at all."

He saw Laurel's eyes close in shame, very aware that she was upset with herself for allowing someone to see through her cover. "Perhaps it might be best if you lower your wand Ms. Granger."

She turned her incredulous gaze toward him, "You can't be serious. What, are you in on this or something?" Her eyes narrowed, "I knew you were working for Voldemort, and Dumbledore's too naïve to see it. What I can't understand is how you convinced him to let this girl join you here when she obviously doesn't even have enough knowledge about potions to pass a second year course."

Laurel's eyes narrowed in indignation, and he spoke up before she could try to defend her knowledge of potions. That would only be trouble. "Perhaps it would be wise if you thought more before you speak Ms. Granger. I assure you, if you go to Dumbledore with your concerns he will be more than happy to tell you all you need to know about the circumstances under which Ms. Slade now finds herself at Hogwarts."

Hermione looked at him suspiciously, "You're not denying anything. What lie did you tell Dumbledore to allow her in here?"

He sighed; the girl was nothing if not trouble. "I assure you, allowing her to remain here was in no way my idea." He didn't want to look at Laurel as he told Granger that particular bit of truthful information, "I must insist you have an audience with Dumbledore." His tone left no room for argument.

Still looking at both of them distrustfully, Hermione began to back away. "I will do that, but be assured if I do not believe what I hear I have no qualms with bringing my concerns up with more powerful figures."

Her threat clear, Hermione continued to back up. She didn't lower her wand until she turned the corner, disappearing down one of the many corridors.

The issue dealt with, Severus turned toward Laurel, not sure what to say. Laurel solved the problem by being the first to speak. "Thank you." Her fingers twisted together nervously in front of her, "I didn't think she was going to back down this time."

He looked at her, wanting to accept her thanks, be her knight in shining armor. Instead he kept his face stony, knowing that he could never be anyone's hero. "I didn't do it for you." He could see the hurt enter her face. "I made a promise to Dumbledore that I would protect your interests, and I was merely keeping my promise. Surely if I had not stepped in the outcome would have been far worse."

She shuffled her feet and smiled up at him sadly. "Whatever the reason."

With that, she walked off, leaving Severus alone, again.

**End Chapter Seventeen**

A/N:

Sorry they didn't make up in this chapter. I was going to make them, but I honestly didn't think Laurel would apologize this time, and Severus is too stubborn to apologize the day after.

So, other than that, I hope it was okay for all of you! :) Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it means so much to me to know what people think of this story.

Thanks also to my rockin beta evenstar101!! She makes my story purdy.


	18. Accidents Happen

Disclaimer: Harry Potter=Not Mine.

**Chapter Eighteen: Accidents Happen**

Laurel clutched her books to her chest tightly as she hurried to her room. She had been meaning to get some lunch, but she wasn't exactly hungry anymore.

The encounter with Hermione had frightened her. When she thought about it she felt silly being afraid of someone years younger than her, but that didn't make her any less anxious. It wasn't the threats Hermione brought up that alarmed her, but rather the idea that others might find out about her secret. The more people that heard the more likely that Voldemort character would find out, and based on what she heard that was the last thing she wanted to happen.

She stepped inside and was surprised to see Pippa standing in the middle of the room. "Pippa? What the hell are you doing in my room?"

Pippa smiled brightly and ran over to where Laurel stood, "I didn't see you at lunch so I thought you might be here. Is everything alright? You seem a bit shaken up."

Laurel tried to smile reassuringly, "I'm fine. Just had a weird confrontation is all. Everything should be fine now." 'I think.' While Severus had saved her the trouble of having to drive Hermione off that time Laurel hardly believed that Hermione would just drop everything. Hopefully she was wrong though, and Dumbledore would be able to convince Hermione that nothing was wrong.

"Alright then, you want to go get some lunch?" Laurel shook her head; the Great Hall was the last place she wanted to be. Hermione might be there and Laurel wanted to avoid her as much as possible. "Then we should go for a walk or something. I really don't want to stay up here for the next hour or so."

"Yeah, that'd be nice actually." Laurel and Pippa left Laurel's room to walk around the Hogwarts grounds. It was a cold out, but it was only snowing lightly and all considered it was a rather nice day.

Pippa kicked lightly at the snow as she walked, the flakes flying throughout the air. "So do you want to talk about whatever happened today? Was it Snape being an arse again or something?"

Laurel gave an exasperated sigh. She might be in a bit of a fight with Severus right now but that didn't mean she enjoyed the way her friend would insult him. "Really Pippa, I get that you don't like him, but he's my friend you know. It's not much fun to hear you constantly beating down on him."

Pippa squeezed her lips together tightly, but nodded her head shortly. When she spoke her voice was terse. "I'm not going to be nice to him. Sorry, but no matter how much you tell me he's a good person I won't believe you." She sighed, "I suppose, however, that I wouldn't be too opposed to not talking about him at all."

Laurel smiled lightly at Pippa and spoke dryly, "Well, gee Pippa, I'm so glad you would make such a sacrifice for me."

Pippa grinned in return, "I know right, I'm just such a nice person."

The two friends laughed together, stopping only when they came across the lake. The top had already begun to freeze over, though it was obvious even to Laurel, who had never lived in an area with snow that the ice would be unsafe to walk on.

Laurel stretched her legs out in front of her, crossing her ankles slightly. Leaning back she rested her weight on her hands behind her. "Pippa," she began hesitantly, rolling her head to the side to look at the girl next to her, "Have you ever wanted to forgive someone so badly, but at the same time you know that to do so would only end up being the wrong choice."

Pippa didn't look at Laurel, but instead stared out into the icy wilderness surrounding them. "I'm not sure I know what you mean. Why would forgiving someone be the wrong thing to do?"

"Well," Laurel began stumbling over her words, not sure how to explain herself, "Let's say, hypothetically speaking of course, that someone was very mean to you. They should apologize, but you know it's likely they never will."

"Alright. So hypothetically why would I want to forgive them?"

Laurel shrugged, "No particular reason. You're just not hurt by the things they said anymore."

"Problem solved then." Pippa laid back on the snowy ground, arms stretched out wide, "If I'm not upset with them everything can go back to normal."

Laurel shook her head, laying down as well, resting her hands lightly on her stomach, "No, I mean, you could, but you know that they need to apologize to you, otherwise they won't see that what they did really hurt you, and they'll just keep on doing the same thing over and over again."

Pippa looked at Laurel through the corner of her eye suspiciously, "Hypothetically speaking what would Snape have done to you to make you so upset that you aren't willing to just let it slide by."

Laurel blushed and refused to look Pippa in the eyes. Why did the girl have to be so damn perceptive, "I don't know what you're talking about." Laurel feigned ignorance.

From the snort that came out of Pippa it was obvious she wasn't buying it. "Right. Well, whatever happened you probably should let this 'hypothetical person' come to you. If they like your friendship enough they will grow a pair and ask for forgiveness."

She bent her knees, pulling them up and resting her hands behind her head in an effort to become more comfortable, "Yeah, it's just frustrating having to wait. This hypothetical creation of mine is so damn stubborn." She shared a grin with Pippa before shivering. The snow had begun to reach her skin, her clothes becoming wet, "We should go back inside or something. It's so cold out here."

Pippa closed her eyes, "You didn't put any charms on your clothes or anything? It's not too difficult to waterproof your clothes you know. Just dry your clothes off and do it now. I could help teach you the spell if you're unfamiliar with it."

Laurel swallowed thickly around the sudden tightness in her throat. Just what she needed, someone else to point out just how unaccustomed to the magical world she is. "I'd rather not you know. I've heard it can change the feeling of your clothes. I like my general comfort too much to sacrifice it for a few moments of warmth." She gave an unconvincing smile as Pippa looked at her suspiciously.

"It really doesn't if you perform the charm right." Pippa raised herself up on her elbows, looking at Laurel curiously, "Who was your charms teacher at your old school?"

Laurel tried to avoid all eye contact with Pippa, sure the lies were obvious on her face, "Well, he was..." She said the first name that came to her mind, "John Smith." And promptly winced as she realized just how vague and unconvincing that name really was.

"Never heard of him," Pippa said airily, "Though I guess that makes sense if he's as bad as he seems. What school would hire such an obviously incompetent teacher?"

From Pippa's silence it became clear to Laurel that she was waiting for an answer. So Laurel did the only thing she could think of, she avoided the question entirely, "Well he really wasn't that incompetent you know. I lived in California and we didn't get much snow, so there really was not need to waterproof our clothes."

"Surely it rained where you lived though," Laurel could hear the amusement in Pippa's voice, "Snow isn't the only thing that makes your clothes wet Laurel."

"Yeah..." She struggled with her words, a hard knot forming in her stomach, "But how would we explain that to any muggles we saw? You can't just go around erasing the memory of everyone that realizes your clothes aren't wet."

"You didn't really go to a witchcraft school did you Laurel?"

The knot in Laurel's stomach grew as she closed her eyes tightly, "I don't know what you mean."

"It's kind of obvious Laurel," Pippa said, "You know more about muggles than even I do, and you always seem so hesitant to do any magic. Not to mention I have to explain nearly every magical term that I use to you. If I were going to guess I would say you were muggle."

Laurel clenched her hands in fists at her side. After the confrontation with Hermione earlier today this was just too much. "Christ, is everyone out for my blood today or something? Just because I don't know every little thing doesn't automatically make me a freaking muggle. Not everyone can be as smart as you. Thanks for pushing my nose in my idiocy."

Pippa held up one hand as if to say, 'don't shoot', "I didn't mean anything by it Laurel, really, I don't think you're stupid, but you aren't even aware of spells that most people learn in their first year at school. At your age that can't be explained by stupidity, but can be explained by ignorance."

Laurel groaned and covered her eyes with her hands. She listened as Pippa continued to speak, "Listen, I'm sure you have your reasons for keeping it all a secret so I won't tell anyone or anything. I'm just curious as to why you are here, and why you feel the need to lie about what you are?"

Of course Pippa would ask the one question she couldn't answer. It was one thing to admit to Pippa that she's a muggle, but it was another thing entirely to tell Pippa about her strange ability. "I have my reasons Pippa, and I really can't tell you anything more about them right now. Please, just leave it at that."

Pippa let her head fall back as she looked at the sky. Laurel could see the hurt that Pippa was trying to keep off of her face, "Does your Snape know about this?"

Laurel scrunched her nose, "First of all he's not 'my Snape' and yes, he does know, but only because he's technically the person who discovered my reason for staying here in the first place."

Pippa stuck out her tongue childishly, "Still, it's not fair that he knows and I don't. I'm a lot prettier." Listening to Pippa's logic was always amusing, but Laurel could tell she was just teasing. Much more seriously, Pippa added, "If you want to talk about it ever though just know that I'm more than willing to listen."

"I know." Laurel smiled, rolling her own head back to look at the clouds, "I know."

**BREAK**

Severus looked at the time for what seemed like the millionth time. Tapping his fingers on the desk impatiently he returned his gaze to the door and just stared at it.

He heard her rushed steps through the hallway before the door started to open. Turning his attention to the papers on his desk he pretended he had actually been getting some work done. When he heard the door creak open he didn't even bother looking up from his papers, "You're late."

He didn't have to look to know that she was wincing, "Sorry. Pippa and I went for a walk and my clothes got wet from the snow. Since this is a free period for us I thought it would be okay for me to take a shower and put on some new clothes before I came."

Severus tried not to think of the image her words brought to mind. "You will simply have to work harder to make up for lost time." He scribbled notes on his paper, looking up expectantly when all she did was stand in place, "Well?"

She pulled at her fingers, as though unsure of herself, "Right. I'll just study then?"

He didn't respond, knowing that she would merely take that as a yes and was not surprised when he heard the quiet sound of book pages being flipped from the direction her seat was in.

Thinking for a moment, Severus turned toward Laurel and said, "Actually Poppy did request we deliver to her some of the warming potion we brewed a while back. Just in case she should need it soon. One bottle should be enough. After you bring that to the hospital wing you may study for the rest of the period."

Laurel nodded and Severus turned back to the work on his desk as he saw her rise from her seat and move toward the back of the room.

It couldn't have been a minute later that Severus heard a loud thump, and the sound of breaking glass.

The screams came right after.

Whipping around he turned toward Laurel his mind shocked as he took in what he saw. Laurel was lying on the ground, writhing and screaming in pain. Glass shards surrounded her and he could see blood on the floor from where the glass had cut her. Covering her body and the floor around her was the warming potion they had created.

It's true that for someone with frostbite or anything close to it, using a small amount of the warming potion topically will create a gentle warming sensation. When used on someone without frostbite, however, that heat is not so mild, and when someone was covered in as much of the potion as Laurel currently was, the pain would be similar to being trapped in an inferno.

He didn't even know what the potion that got into her blood stream through the cuts the glass made would feel like.

Severus acted on instinct, casting the quickest _Aguamenti _he had ever done. A stream of water flew from his wand toward Laurel, only to disappear before it could hit her skin.

He swore as he remembered, a little too late, that using magic would not be effective on her. Changing tactics, Severus transfigured the closest item he could find, a desk, into a large towel, hoping Laurel's gift would not be strong enough to reverse the transfiguration. As he rushed toward Laurel he couldn't help but notice that she had stopped moving, and was no longer screaming.

He could only hope that it was because she had passed out.

As tenderly as he could Severus wrapped the towel around Laurel, careful not to get any of the potion on himself, and moved her away from the sight of the accident. Once they were clear of the glass shards Severus set her down on the ground, kneeling besides her. He didn't even hesitate to remove the clothes of hers that had become covered in the potion, safety being a higher priority to him than modesty.

As fast as possible, while still being efficient, Severus wiped the towel on her body, getting rid of all traces of the potion from her skin. Tossing away the dirtied towel Severus transfigured a clean one, wrapping it around her body.

Holding the prone girl to his body Severus held out his wand and created a patronus to fetch Madam Pomphrey. Severus knew she would need medical assistance, but didn't want to risk moving her for fear of causing unnecessary damage.

Knowing all he could do was wait Severus wrapped his arms around the unconscious girl he held her close to his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head as he closed his eyes tightly. He took the time to think about just what the hell had happened.

The container had broken, obviously, the how and why could be determined later, they were not important right now. What Severus wanted to know was why the potion harmed her as it did.

Dumbledore agreed with him that it was unlikely potions would work on her. Brewing potions was one thing, but when a potion was used it exerted a magical energy to create the desired effect. This allows the potions to work on anyone who would use them, including muggles but they had assumed Laurel's innate resistance to magic would be enough to counteract the effect that any potion would have on her.

Apparently they were wrong.

In hindsight he realized it made sense that potions would affect her. As with enchanted objects the magic that a potion emits has a conduit to make the magic more resistant, more likely to break through the shields Laurel has. He should have known that potions would work on her, should have realized it was at least a possibility.

Instead, he didn't even bother to teach her basic safety rules of a potions lab, thinking even if there was a spill it wouldn't have any negative side effects to her.

It was a mistake that he was paying for now, with interest.

As he sat there, waiting for Poppy to come, he clung to her tightly listening to her breaths. However labored they were, they were there, and they helped him remember that she was still alive.

Right now, those breaths were the only thing keeping him sane.

**BREAK**

To people walking by it would look empty, but if one took a closer look they would see the two figures hidden in the furthest corner of the dark alley.

"Well?" The taller figure hissed, "You're the one who called me here. You'd better have something good. Our Lord does not appreciate those who waste his time."

"Yes, yes," The smaller figure whispered, backing away instinctively from the imposing man before him, "I have some news that might be of interest."

"Get on with it then." The figure twirled its wand carelessly. There was an almost audible sneer in the voice. "Personally I hope it isn't very interesting at all. I've had a rather horrible day you know. A good torture session could be just the thing I need to make it all better."

The smaller figure spoke so fast it nearly tripped over the words, "It's the new potions professor, the one studying under Severus Snape."

The wand froze in the hands of the taller figure as he stared down at the smaller figure, "What about her?"

"There's something off about her. She's not really a potions student at all. They are trying to keep her safe from something at Hogwarts and they aren't being truthful about it."

Curiosity entered the voice of the taller figure, "What is it they are hiding? Does she have some sort of special power?"

The smaller figure glanced to the side nervously, "Well, it's something very big."

The taller figure held out its wand threateningly, "Don't make me do anything you will regret. Tell me what you know and hurry it the hell up."

"I don't." The smaller figure spat out hurriedly, now taking obvious steps backward in an attempt to escape the attentions of the person behind the outstretched wand, "I don't know, that is, what they're hiding. It's all very hush-hush and I haven't been able to catch word of it but I'm sure that if I-"

"Quiet." The taller figure interrupted loudly, "I am not interested in excuses. If you have nothing more to tell me I assure you it would be best for you to vacate the area immediately. Seeing as you did provide me with at least a little bit of useful information I will skip over the fact that you were unable to answer my last question."

"Thank you sir, you are such a ki-"

"Leave." He cut the shorter figure off sharply, "Before I decide you are too annoying for me to keep alive."

The smaller figure needed no more persuasion, and ran away quickly, apparating out of sight after a few steps.

**End Chapter Eighteen**

A/N:

Sorry I wasn't able to get out review responses. It's been a hectic week. I'll make sure to go back and get the ones I missed though. :)

So I hope you don't hate me too much for this chapter. He he... at least their talking again right? Things will probably be looking up from here anyway, at least in some aspects.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and everyone who added this story to their story alert, or favorite list. :) There were a lot of those this chapter!

Big hugs also go out to evenstar101 for being a wonderful beta!


	19. Annoyances

Disclaimer: Me no ownie.

**Chapter Nineteen: Annoyances**

He wanted to visit her.

Desperately.

It had been three days since Laurel's accident. Ever since that day she has been lying unconscious, healing, in the Hospital wing. Severus, for his part, stayed locked up in his private room. When he did wander out it was only for classes, and he never exited the dungeons. He even went so far as to have the House Elves deliver food to his room.

He thought about visiting her constantly. He wanted to wait by her side, holding her hand, if only to make sure she had someone there when she woke up. Every time he worked up the courage to go, he stopped before he even reached the door of the dungeons.

He felt that he had no right to visit her. People in the hospital wing get visits from loved ones, people who care about them and their wellbeing.

They didn't get visits from the people who injured them in the first place.

Severus knew he didn't actually do anything. He hadn't yet deluded himself so far that he believed he emptied the bottle over her head or anything, but still, he couldn't help but feel guilty. He should have known the potion could hurt her, should have used better spells to make the containers unbreakable, should have taken the time to teach her safety. There were so many things he could have done, _should _have done.

But he didn't.

Laurel became critically wounded all because he was unable to see something that was so obvious. Once again he managed to harm someone he cared about.

While he wouldn't admit to anyone that he had actual feelings for her, he could acknowledge the fact that every inch of him itched with the desire to protect her. When he first learned of her plans to attend a night out at a club with Pippa a while back, he had scrounged his mind for any reason to keep her on the grounds. He hadn't needed her help collecting the sopohorous that night, but he couldn't stand the thought of her spending a night out at a club. There would be men there, men who would doubtlessly be interested in her. If the night he found her slobbering drunk in the hallway was any indicator she wasn't someone who could handle alcohol well, and he could only imagine what might happen to her.

On Halloween he didn't hear about her plans for the night until it was too late to actually do anything. He had been walking to his dungeons for the night when he overheard a conversation between Minerva and Poppy. They had been reminiscing about their own days, many, many, years ago, when they would spend all night out at clubs. Overall, the conversation was dreadfully frightening to listen to, and to imagine, but it did serve to inform Severus of the plans Laurel and Pippa had made for the night. Apparently Pippa had warned Laurel not to mention the plans to him, thinking he would only find an excuse to ruin them.

She was right, but he wasn't about to tell her that.

When she came into his dungeons that night he couldn't help but notice how completely ridiculous, and painfully adorable she was dressed in her costume. If anything it only fueled his anger, knowing that she had been out there, dressed like that, without him by her side to make sure nothing happened to her. It didn't matter that she came back ridiculously early, or that the first thing she did was visit him, no, he was angry he wasn't there with her the whole night.

That night wasn't the first time he hurt her, and it certainly wasn't the last, or the worst.

He knew that eventually he would hurt her in a way that was unforgivable. It was only a matter of time really, and he felt almost as though it was a good thing it happened so early. It was almost as though it was divine intervention, a warning that he has to continue keeping his distance. Her being close to him could never be a good thing, it could never work. This event made it painfully obvious to Severus that he was incapable of keeping her safe. No matter how much he wanted to visit her, how much he wanted to protect her, common sense makes it obvious the best thing for her would be if she were far away from him.

He made up his mind to talk to Dumbledore about letting Laurel leave Hogwarts before any more harm could come to her.

With determination that he hadn't felt in days Severus left his dungeons and made his way quickly to Dumbledore's office.

Before Dumbledore could even say hello Severus was talking, "Albus, I have a request to make of you."

Dumbledore raised one silvery eyebrow as he motioned with his hands for Severus to sit, "I am more than willing to listen Severus."

Severus sat, and rested his hands on his knees, gripping them tightly. "I believe it would be best for Ms. Slade to leave the Hogwarts grounds permanently."

The amused glint in Dumbledore's eyes annoyed Severus to no end, "Is that so? Considering her condition that might not be the best course of action for us."

Severus closed his eyes tightly; it was obvious Dumbledore wasn't going to make this easy. Lowering his head he looked at the ground and spoke tightly, "Perhaps it would be best to wait, however her condition is one of the reasons I believe it is pertinent that she leave."

"I must admit I am confused Severus, she seems to be adjusting quite well to life here, and I know for a fact you have a significant increase in recreational time. She had a clumsy accident; it does not give us reason to ban her from the grounds."

"Her accident is the very reason she should leave Albus, don't you see? This isn't her world and it was a mistake for us to ever bring her here."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, an amused smile playing on his lips, "There is only one world Severus, it is people who have divided it. She has as much of a right to be here as you or I do."

He almost wanted to stomp his feet on the ground childishly, that's how annoyed he was becoming with Albus. "However much right she has, she is not accustomed to it. The girl essentially stared down a damned centaur for Merlin's sake. Had she stared at him any longer he surely would have attacked without bothering to consult me first."

"It will take her time to become accustomed to this world, however not any longer than it might take a muggle born to do so. It is a risk we take in our culture."

Severus let out a frustrated groan, "She can have a life perfectly well outside of these walls Dumbledore and you know it."

"That may be." Dumbledore acknowledged before standing up from his seat at his desk to walk calmly over to his window, "Tell me Severus, why is it you are unusually invested in this girl's safety?"

Severus' face was filled with shock and guilt. Quickly he subdued the emotions and spoke stonily, "I care for the wellbeing of this school. Were one of our professors to die it would hardly reflect well on this school."

For once Severus thanked his years as a spy in Voldemort's ranks. If nothing else it gave him an exquisite ability to lie, though he didn't believe for a second that Dumbledore would actually believe him.

"Your concern is touching; however she would hardly be the first teacher to die Severus. Tell me, have you been to visit her yet?"

He stiffened, not liking where this conversation was going, "I have never seen the purpose of visiting someone who is not even conscious."

"Are you aware some believe when one is unconscious some part of their being remembers everything they hear?"

Yes, he knew that quite well, he wasn't about to admit that to Dumbledore though, "No, this is the first I am hearing of it, and I fail to see what it has to do with Laurel being removed from the campus." He said, trying to gain control of the conversation once more.

"She has been through a traumatizing experience Severus; wouldn't you like her to wake up with some good memories to accompany the bad one?"

"Even if some part of her retains the words she hears while unconscious she is hardly likely to remember them while awake."

"Of course, of course. Now, you must pardon me, I seem to have forgotten the purpose you came here for." Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling and lips smiling. He sat back down at his desk, and began to ruffle through the papers on his desk.

Finally, Severus couldn't help but be relieved that Albus had given up on whatever he had been doing, "I came here to inform you it would be best for all parties involved were Laurel to leave the Hogwarts grounds."

"Dear, I am afraid that is quite impossible at this point Severus."

Severus' brows furrowed as he tried to determine just what Dumbledore was talking about, "I am aware it would be foolish to move her given her current state. We will relocate her whenever she is well enough for us to do so."

"No, that is not what I mean at all Severus, it would be very unwise for us to remove her from the premises no matter her physical condition." Dumbledore singled out one paper and lifted it, appearing to be reading the words distractedly.

"Give me a portkey and I can do it myself. If it's a matter of money I would be more than willing to give her some of mine so she can support herself until she is able to accustom herself to her new location."

Dumbledore put the paper down and looked at Severus, "It is not a matter of money or time Severus. Were Ms. Slade to be moved now she is likely to come to more physical harm than she could possibly cause herself through clumsy accidents."

A chill went down Severus' spine and he felt his gut clench uncomfortably. "I have never been fond of your games Albus, and I would appreciate it if you put them aside to tell me exactly what you mean."

The twinkle was gone from Dumbledore's eyes as he became all business, "I have gotten word that Voldemort is showing an interest in Ms. Slade. As such it would be wise for her to remain here until we know exactly what is happening."

Severus' heart nearly stopped and he was sure his face was drained of all color. "I have heard nothing of this."

"While you are certainly the highest up, you are not the only one I have among Voldemort's ranks Severus."

He shook his head defiantly, "No, he called to question me just because I had a new student. He would hardly take an interest in her without calling me again." He began to doubt himself, began to doubt that he was able to keep everything from Voldemort when the man went traipsing through his memories.

"Perhaps his questioning of you before caused him to believe you are ignorant of anything regarding her, but I have been informed he has discovered there is something unusual about Ms. Slade." Severus sat still in shock as he took in everything Dumbledore was saying, "At this time we are unaware whether or not he will pursue what he has learned, however keeping her at the castle will surely discourage any attempt he might be thinking of making as far as learning more about her may go."

His face hardened as he thought of something, "Who told Voldemort about Laurel."

Dumbledore sighed, "That is another thing we are unsure of. Anyone who knows fully about her condition can be counted out seeing as Voldemort clearly does not know the full extent of her abilities. Is there anyone you know of who might know little of her condition?"

"Granger knows some, as I'm sure you are aware." Almost as an afterthought he added, "Though Russell is likely to know something, she spends so much damn time with Laurel." Most of Severus wanted it to be Pippa, if only so he could feel justified in his dislike of her. "She did just come here this year, rather suspicious I would think."

"However easy it might seem Severus, we cannot condemn someone merely because they arrived later than the rest."

"We could." He muttered childishly under his breath.

"This is not something we must deal with now. As it stands Voldemort is hardly likely to form an attack against the castle because he has an interest in Ms. Slade, however as a precaution I think you will agree with me when I say it would be best for her to continue her residence at our castle."

He wanted to disagree, wanted to get her away from him consequences be damned. It would be safer in the long run. Unfortunately for him, however, the selfish part of his being was the one to speak, "Yes, I suppose it might be best for her to remain."

He felt so conflicted. Part of him wanted to jump up and down screaming in joy. She would be staying, he could spend more time with her, get to know her better. At the same time the prospect of getting to know her better was terrifying to him. He already held a dangerous amount of affection for her, how much more might he gain were he to be in contact with her for much longer.

No matter how good, dare he say how happy, she made him feel, Severus knew that it could only be followed by anger, hate, guilt, and a myriad of other emotions that can only bring pain.

"On a completely different note, since you are here I may as well ask you if you are in need of any supplies for your potions. I have allocated some money for supplies for teachers and should you find yourself without a practical means of attaining some ingredient I should be able to acquire a reasonable amount for you."

"Actually I am running low on sopohorous. My last attempt to gather some went awry, and it will be some time until it will once more be potent enough for me to pick."

Dumbledore nodded, "I will have it in your classroom before the week is over."

"Wonderful. Should I notice anything else running low I will inform you."

Severus stood to leave, but before he could exit the office Dumbledore's voice came from behind him, "You should visit her Severus, if it is something you wish to do that is."

He cringed, and left the office without acknowledging what Dumbledore said.

He was barely two steps away from the gargoyle that led to Dumbledore's office when he ran into possibly the very last person he wanted to see at that moment.

"So, the bat has come out of his cave has he?"

Severus frowned down at Pippa who was standing in front of him. "Very creative, really, you should teach lessons."

"Laurel is in the hospital wing, has been for a while now, did you know that?" She stood with her arms crossed defiantly across her chest.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, seriously debating walking away from Pippa no matter how rude it was, "Yes." Speaking in monosyllables was much more socially acceptable than completely ignoring someone.

"Oh well, I figured you must have forgot or something, seeing as you haven't once come to visit her." He hmm'd in agreement not really knowing what he could say. She was right, he hadn't visited her. Pippa continued, "I thought that since you're the reason she's in there you would have at least brought her flowers or something. You owe her that."

Severus winced as Pippa hit a sore spot, as far as he was concerned there was no fault in her logic. He was to blame, and he should do something to atone for his wrongdoing, but he was too much of a coward.

"Are you going to say anything, defend yourself or something? Here's a crazy thought, maybe you could apologize for nearly killing my friend."

He met her glare with one of his own. "Oh yes, because I tripped her. Or tell me, did I pour the bottle over her myself." He might be willing to blame himself, but he sure as hell wasn't going to stand here and let her berate him like an insolent child.

Pippa had the decency to blush slightly, but apparently not enough to give up. She scowled at him, blushing cheeks and all, and snapped, "Well you sure as hell didn't take any preventative measures! Would it really have been so difficult to, oh I don't know, tell her just what might happen if she were to trip and pour the potion all over herself."

Severus tried to reign in his temper. She was right of course, about everything. She came to this castle naïve, unaware of the dangers surrounding it, and what had they done to help protect her so far? Shove a book about potions at her? Keep her secret hidden by placing her in a position where she has to lie, something she is completely horrible at? It would have been impossible to prepare her fully for what the Wizarding world held, but they could have done something. It wouldn't have been too difficult to warn her about centaurs before entering the forbidden forest, or tell her to take special care with the potions, as many of them have not so pleasant side effects. They had shown her the wonders of their world without warning her of the dangers.

"You make it sound so simple." He laughed bitterly, and began to walk away slowly intent on having the last word, intent on leaving her with the impression that he was in charge, that he knew just what he was doing.

That wasn't the truth at all.

As he moved away he heard Pippa sigh heavily from behind him, "Wait," She ran a few short steps until she was standing by his side. She didn't turn to face him however, opting instead to stare down the hallway as she spoke, "I'm just worried about her all right. I'm actually glad I ran into you though, I wanted to tell you something."

"Well?" He prompted.

"Just, keep your distance from Laurel." Severus clenched his jaw, "You know as well as I do that you're no good for her. I don't want her to get hurt, and I don't mean physically. She's a good friend of mine, and I'll do what I can to care for her."

The warning behind her words was clear, 'hurt Laurel and I hurt you.'

Severus walked away again, quicker this time, and nearly sighed in relief when Pippa didn't try to stop him again.

He hurried to his quarters, and his energy drained from his being he collapsed onto his bed and closed his eyes tightly. If Pippa had been intending to shatter his fragile confidence in himself she had fully succeeded. Her words had hit home hard.

Her first accusations were nothing new. They were more statements of facts. He had hurt her, not directly, but he was most definitely the cause of her accident.

It was her last sentence that got to him. The threat was nothing. He could deal with Pippa; it wasn't likely she would be able to best him in a duel. It was the fact that she knew he would hurt her. She repeated the things he had been telling himself for quite some time now, that he would only bring damage to Laurel.

It's one thing to tell yourself something in the solitude of your mind, it's another thing entirely to hear those thoughts come from someone else's mouth. He could only harm Laurel, becoming close to her would only bring pain.

Severus almost went to his dresser. He wanted to dig through his bottom drawer to get some firewhiskey, fully intending to drink himself to sleep. At the last moment, however, he decided against it, and fell asleep the good old fashioned natural way.

He had decided that he didn't deserve to forget for tonight.

**End Chapter Nineteen**

A/N:

Just decided to give you all another reason to dislike Pippa. ;)

Not much happened... but there will be Laurel in the next chapter, so you can bet something interesting will happen. What will it be??

Great thanks to my beta, evenstar101, and to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Reviews make my heart go pitter patter.

*Whoopsydaisy


	20. Awake

Disclaimer: I bought the Sims 3 so now I can't afford to buy the rights to Harry Potter. Oh Darn.

**Chapter Twenty: Awake**

The first thing Laurel heard when she woke up was the voice of Hermione Granger.

'Does God hate me or something?' she thought sarcastically as she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to pretend like she was not awake.

It was an attempt that failed miserably as soon after she heard the voice of Hermione Granger coming from beside her bed. "Professor Slade, are you awake then?"

She meant to say 'no', but it came out as more of a coarse growl. Something was placed into her left hand which she quickly identified as a cup of water. Sitting up she swallowed the entire cup, the cool liquid soothing the ache in her throat she had just realized was there.

"Did that help? I can get you more water if you require it."

Laurel grimaced as she placed the cup on the table next to her bed and looked at the student standing by her, "Shouldn't Poppy be in here or something?" She said, looking around the room for the woman in question hoping she might save her from Hermione.

"She stepped out for a few moments, and personally I'm quite glad you happened to wake up now. There is something I need to talk to you about a bit."

Laurel scrunched her nose in distaste as she spoke dryly, "Trust me Ms. Granger, normally I would be all for a nice chat but right now I think I-"

"I'm sorry." Hermione interrupted, the two words rushing out of her mouth.

"What?" Laurel's eyes widened as she took in the apologetic expression on Hermione's face.

"I was wrong to treat you like I did. I saw something odd and jumped to a ridiculous conclusion." Hermione's eyes lowered in shame and her face heated in embarrassment. Laurel could tell she wasn't used to having to apologize for making mistakes.

"Um, well, that's all right. You really didn't know any better."

"But I should have!" She exclaimed enthusiastically, "I should have trusted Dumbledore's judgment and known that he wouldn't have brought you here if you were dangerous. It's just, well..." She hesitated, "He's been wrong before and I was so worried about protecting Harry that I didn't stop to see all of the facts, I ignored the facts proving your innocence."

"Anyone could have done that."

"I wouldn't have, that is, were I paying closer attention. I mean, most of the signs pointed to you being a muggle, and that would have made it impossible for you to be part of Voldemort's army. All else I saw can be explained by protective spells put on you by Dumbledore." She stood up straighter suddenly, "He did explain everything to me, but you don't need to fret about it at all, I won't tell a soul."

Laurel wondered just what Dumbledore could have told her that would have made her go through such a transformation in a short period of time. "That's wonderful."

The door opened as Poppy re-entered the Hospital wing. Laurel sagged down in relief. Even though it appeared Hermione would no longer be harassing her, the way the girl would talk circles around her gave her the worst of headaches.

"Goodness," Poppy exclaimed, "How long have you been awake dear?" Turning to Hermione she waved a hand, "You need to leave now Ms. Granger, she might be awake but I assure you she still needs her sleep."

Laurel could have shouted out in joy when Hermione left without saying anything more. Turning to Poppy she asked, "What happened to me? Last I remember I was in the dungeons assisting Sev- er Professor Snape." While generally she was on a first name basis with Severus Laurel still wasn't sure what she should address him as in front of other people.

"You took a rather nasty fall dear, a hard enough one that it shattered the bottle you were holding. You've been unconscious for a good week now."

Laurel scrunched her brows in confusion, "So did I hit my head or something? I guess I could have passed out from the pain of the glass shards that would have punctured my skin, right?"

"Oh no dear, it was the potion. When it comes in contact with skin that does not have frostbite the skin begins to heat unbearably. In the amount you were covered in it's almost the equivalent of getting third degree burns over your entire body."

Laurel's confusion only grew. Poppy was one of the few people in the castle aware of her condition, so Laurel couldn't understand just why she was blaming her condition on the potion when it had been made quite clear to her that potions couldn't affect her. She asked as much.

Poppy took a deep breath, and seemed to struggle for the right words, "To put it quite simply, Laurel, we were wrong. Your... condition is entirely new to us. We made assumptions off of facts we didn't have."

Laurel couldn't help the short laugh that came out of her mouth as she spoke quietly, "Well, you know what happens when you assume." Poppy just shook her head, and Laurel muttered, "Apparently you don't."

Thankfully Poppy did not attempt to pursue Laurel's horrible attempt at a joke, "The good news is we now have even more information than before about your condition."

Laurel blanched, 'Almost killing myself isn't what I would consider the greatest way to gain knowledge.' To Poppy she said, "Well hopefully in the future we'll have a better way of finding out more about this condition I have." She attempted a small smile.

Poppy returned the smile with a bright one of her own, "I'm sure we will."

For the first time Laurel noticed the flowers sitting beside her bed, a vase of yellow daisies. "Oh! What gorgeous flowers!" She reached one hand out to touch the petals, smiling as she felt the soft material under her fingers.

"Yes, Professor Russell brought those by for you early yesterday. There were more here earlier but we can't have too many in here at once. Allergy potions can only do so much for students you know."

Laurel looked surprised, "I had a few visitors then?"

"Yes, Russell came in to visit you almost every day, as well as Ms. Granger. Dumbledore and McGonagall both came by, and a few of your students came once or twice as well."

Laurel frowned. Considering the fact that she had made very few friends at the castle this was a surprisingly large number of people. Laurel barely heard the names Poppy listed off though, instead becoming focused on the fact that she didn't hear the one name she wanted to hear. "Is that all then?"

Poppy thought for a moment, resting one hand on her hip, "I believe so, yes."

Laurel felt a harsh pang. Severus must be more upset at her than she thought. Sure, they had a spat, but it was hardly the first one they'd had, and it had already been more than a week since their argument. For him to not even take the time to visit her... she didn't want to think too much about just what that meant.

Thankfully, Laurel was granted a reprieve from her thinking when Pippa came bursting through the door.

"You're not dead!" She exclaimed, never being one for subtlety.

Laurel chuckled, maybe Severus didn't care enough to visit her, but at least she had one friend that was more than happy to see her. "It's great to see you too Pippa."

Pippa ran toward the bed, and for a moment Laurel thought she might jump right onto the bed to embrace her, but she was stopped by Poppy's voice. "Hold on just a minute there, who said you could come here? These are hardly hours for visiting and Laurel here needs her sleep."

Pippa pouted, "Poppy, surely you can bend the rules just a touch for right now?"

Poppy shook her head stubbornly, "No, I've already kept her up long enough with my own jibber jabber, and she needs her sleep."

"Awe," Pippa whined, "Well it was nice to at least see you for a bit Laurel. I'll come back tomorrow if I'm allowed to." Laurel waved goodbye as Pippa slowly pouted her way out of the room.

Poppy turned to Laurel and said, "I know you just woke but you really should get some sleep. If it's too difficult there is a sleeping potion by your bed that you're more than welcome to use. In this case I suppose it's a good thing we know you're able to use potions now." Poppy smiled, "It's nearly eleven now, and I'll be going to sleep myself. If you need anything there's a bell right over there," She pointed to the far corner of the Hospital wing, "All you need do is ring that and I'll be out in a jiffy."

Laurel nodded, and watched as Poppy left the room.

Closing her eyes Laurel tried to go to sleep, but she found her mind unable to do anything but focus on the fact that Severus had yet to visit her. She tried to count sheep, tried to play soothing music in her head, did everything she had ever read helped you go to sleep, but nothing seemed to help.

She tossed and turned for a few moments before sitting up and resting the back of her head on the wall behind her and closing her eyes softly. Opening one eye slowly she turned her head to look at the cup on the counter beside her bed, the one containing the sleeping potion. Picking it up, she held it to her nose and took a small sniff.

It didn't smell too horribly she decided. She could detect faint traces of honey, obviously meant to disguise the flavor and smell of whatever herbs were used in the potion. She held the cup to her lips and tilted her head back slightly intending to drink.

Before the potion even reached her lips, however, Laurel moved it away from her, and looked at it, thoughts running through her mind. She could drink this potion, and fall asleep right away. Or, she could get up off of her ass and go to the dungeons. Most of the castle might be asleep, but she had no doubt that Severus was still up working as hard as ever. Laurel had questions for him, and she wanted answers.

Laurel decided she would pay the potions master a little night time visit. She knew Poppy would never let her out of the Hospital wing, so she needed to find a way out without anyone knowing.

Placing the potion back on the counter she grabbed it from she moved from her bed to get a closer look at the other beds littering the room. She found each one unoccupied. She smiled, knowing this meant there was no one to inform Poppy of her escape.

Making her way to the Hospital Wing door she placed her hands on the handle. Sucking in a deep breath she held it as she turned the door, and lightly pushed. To her relief the door gave way easily under the pressure she exerted.

Once in the Hallway she made sure to close the door silently behind her, instead of letting it slam shut. Adrenaline running though her body with her unusual display of delinquency she almost giggled. Her 'escape' had been far easier than she thought it would be.

Still dressed only in the gown provided by the hospital wing Laurel tiptoed down the hallway, the balls of her feet freezing on the cold stone ground. She felt every part the sleuth as she snuck down the hallways, taking care to peek over a corner before she made a turn, and sliding along the sides of the wall.

Sooner than she thought she found herself in front of the familiar doors that led to Severus's classroom.

With the same amount of care she took opening the Hospital wing door she pushed, and entered the classroom silently. Looking around she nearly withered in disappointment when she took in the dark, silent classroom, with no Severus to speak of.

Hope lit again when her eyes raked across the door to his personal chambers, and she saw that there was a soft light coming from the room. Laurel intensely doubted that Severus would be one to sleep with a night light one, however amusing that would have been; she took the glow as a sign that he was still awake.

Making her way she took her chances at angering him further and opened the door.

Sure enough, there he was, sitting still fully dressed at his own desk, buried in what seemed like a giant mound of papers.

When closing the door to his room Laurel abandoned the care she had been using earlier and let it slam shut loudly. Severus' head snapped up in shock and his whole body tensed and froze when he spotted her.

She stood awkwardly for a moment, hands clenched behind her back, before raising one to wave slightly. "Hi." She said, not sure exactly what to do when all he was doing was staring at her like she was a complete stranger.

He stood up suddenly and Laurel wished the room was lit better so she could see his expression. The light shadowed his face just right so she couldn't tell just how angry he was with her.

When he started walking toward her quickly she took a small step back and closed her eyes, almost afraid of what would happen.

What she didn't expect, at all, was the warm arms that wrapped around her, pulling her into his chest.

Her eyes opened widely and she stiffened in shock. Laurel hadn't been sure what his reaction to her arrival would be, but this sure as hell wasn't even on any of the lists she had made in her head.

"Merlin Laurel," He whispered, almost too quiet for her to hear, "I didn't know."

His arms tightened around her, almost painfully, "I thought you had-"He seemed to choke on his words as his voice cracked suddenly, "I'm so sorry."

Laurel stood still in his arms as she tried to get her brain to accept the fact that he had just apologized to her. She was struck suddenly with the thought that maybe he didn't visit because of guilt. He was blaming himself for what had happened, and it was tearing him apart.

"It wasn't your fault." She spoke after a moment, telling him only what she felt to be the truth.

Almost as though her voice shocked him out of some trance he snapped back from her, both hands gripping her shoulders tightly. She was glad to be looking into his face, because for only a moment it was filled with guilt, fear, happiness, and so many other emotions that seemed so odd coming from the normally stoic man before her.

In an instant, however, his stony mask was back in place as he released her shoulders and walked out of his own room, slamming the door behind him before Laurel even had a chance to say anything.

If Laurel had been thinking properly she might have gone after him, tried to stop him and talk to him, but her brain didn't seem to be working at the moment. His reaction had been so sudden, so uncharacteristic of the man she had gotten to know that she didn't know what to do.

A few months ago she had learned that there was a whole other world than the one she had grown up knowing. Even then, she didn't feel nearly as shocked as she did right now. Still, underneath her shock she couldn't ignore the fact that she had enjoyed being in his arms, it had felt good.

Slowly, Laurel made her way back to the Hospital wing. Sitting on her bed she didn't even hesitate to drink the sleeping potion before lying down. While waiting for the potion to work, and even in the dreams following her descent into the dream world, only one thought ran through her mind.

'What the hell just happened?'

**BREAK**

Severus walked through the hallways aimlessly.

His heart was beating erratically and his mind was little more than jumbles as it tried to make sense of what he had just done.

He had been so shocked when he had seen her. It had been a week since that night, One week since she had entered her coma like state. After the fourth day he gave up most hope of her ever waking up again.

His brain almost ceased working at all when he saw her, and for a moment he thought he might be seeing a ghost, or his imagination was creating images for him to see.

Severus had planned out what he would do when he saw her. He was going to act cool, and calmly inquire as to her wellbeing, apologizing for the accident that occurred. Instead, when he looked at her, his emotions ran haywire. The walls that he had spent years building up fell in an instant, and all he wanted to do was hold her, if only to assure himself that she was really there.

He wrapped her tightly in his arms, holding onto her as though it were the last time he would ever see her. He could feel her stiffening in his arms, but he ignored it, breathing in her scent. He murmured some words, but he wasn't even quite sure what he said.

It was her voice that shocked his brain into working again.

She told him in her soft voice that it wasn't his fault. It just proved how naïve she really was. He shoved her away from him roughly, the only remaining contact being his hands on her shoulders. He shoved all emotions from his face as fast as he could, and tried to think of something to say.

Nothing came to mind.

Instead, he did something he was good at, he left.

Quicker than he ever thought possible he fled from the room, leaving her alone in the chambers. He thought briefly about how absurd it was that he was the one leaving when they were in his chambers, but that wasn't what mattered, all that mattered was getting away from her.

Severus stopped his directionless wandering suddenly, and took a quick glance at his surroundings. He nearly groaned in frustration when he realized that he was standing outside of Laurel's quarters.

He tried to understand what this all meant. He was supposed to distance himself from her, but somehow she was slowly breaking down his walls. Even unconsciously he made to seek her out when in need of comfort, ending up in front of her room in this moment of turmoil.

'I love Lily,' he tried to remind himself, 'I have to repent, have to make up for the way I destroyed her, because I love her.' It was like a chant in his head.

Obviously reminding himself that he could only hurt her wasn't working, so he tried this instead, and he could already tell it wouldn't be much more successful.

He wandered the halls for hours, only making his way back to his room when he was sure Laurel had left. He tried all night not to think on what happened, making up his mind to act tomorrow as though it had never happened.

**End Chapter Twenty**

A/N:

Hope you enjoyed it. :) Confusion all around!

Big hearts out to everyone who reviews! Every review is like a shimmering star in the sky. Lol

Thanks also to my beta, evenstar101! :) Go read and review her story! It's great with lots of Snape and all that jazz!

*Whoopsydaisy


	21. Diagon Alley

Disclaimer: I don't think I will ever own Harry Potter, and that makes me a Saaaad Panda.

**Chapter Twenty-one: Diagon Alley**

Laurel was surprised when things went on as normal. The next time she saw Severus, after their odd midnight encounter, he acted as though nothing had ever happened. She'd even tried to mention it to him once or twice, but he had vehemently denied anything had ever happened.

It was entirely frustrating.

So, Laurel decided to chalk it up to experience, and follow Severus' lead, pretending nothing actually happened. There was one purpose the encounter served that Laurel was all too glad for. It showed her that Severus was not the emotional block of ice he pretended to be, and that some part of him, somewhere, cared for her, and wanted to keep her safe.

For now, that would have to be enough.

When the students left for break in December Laurel was surprised how different the castle became. She had become used to the hustle and bustle the students caused, and while some students remained behind it just wasn't the same.

One nice thing about the holiday was that it allowed her time to study. It had become rather hectic for her, trying to learn nearly seven new potions every week for all of the different classes, and she was using all of the time she suddenly found herself with to study ahead, learn the potions before the students did.

The potions were becoming easier as time went by, but it became obvious to Laurel that she needed to learn more about how the Wizarding world worked. He'd been doing it in a rather subtle way, but every day Severus would tell her random facts about the Wizarding world, things that might come in handy in certain situations.

He was trying to help her learn more about a world that she was a complete stranger to. It was a nice effort, but he could hardly tell her everything she would need to know, so she took it upon herself to somehow get more information.

Walking into the nearly empty classroom Laurel waved at Severus, "Morning!" she said, a cheerful smile on her face, "Have you looked outside yet? It snowed again last night and there's gorgeous white snow covering everything."

Severus raised one eyebrow, not moving his gaze from the papers on his desk, "It snows every winter, and this is hardly something extraordinary."

Laurel sat down and began to get out her book, "I've only ever seen snow once before I came here, and that was years ago. I've never been somewhere that gets so much snow."

Putting down the quill in his hand Severus lifted his eyes from his desk, and looked at Laurel, "Well I hope you are not opposed to spending time in the snow, because we will be taking a trip to Diagon Alley today."

Laurel's eyes lit up, "Really? That's the same place we went last time right? The place with the ice-cream?"

He winced, "Correct, however I believe it would be appropriate to skip on the ice-cream for this trip, seeing as it is below freezing outside."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Laurel reluctantly agreed. A thought passed through her mind briefly and she asked, "They have a book store there, don't they?"

"Yes,"

"Would I be able to go into it maybe? There is something I have wanted to buy." This would be a perfect opportunity for her to find a book that could tell her more.

"I don't believe that should be too much of a problem," He went rummaging through his pockets, "I will need to pick up some potions ingredients Dumbledore ordered, along with a few other tasks I need to complete, however if you are willing to go by yourself there should be more than enough time. Here, take these." Severus handed Laurel a small pile of money.

Examining the coins in her hands Laurel said, "These are Wizarding money, right?" She picked one up to look at it closer, "Pippa tried to explain them to me. This is a Galleon right?"

He nodded, "You have your own vault at Gringotts, but it would take an annoying amount of time to retrieve it. For now, this will have to do. It should be more than enough for you to buy anything in the book store. Are you aware of the value of each coin?"

She nodded, "Like I said, Pippa explained it, and I'm pretty sure I remember correctly." She pocketed the coins and stood up when she saw Severus do the same. When he took out a ripped up stuffed animal she asked, "Is that going to get us there?"

"This will be our portkey. If you will hold onto it we can be on our way."

Grabbing the stuffed animal Laurel only had a moment before there was a tug at her navel. A moment later she found herself in a completely different area, surrounded by fluffy white snow.

Stumbling a little, trying to keep her balance, Laurel said, "You guys can change a pin into a porcupine, you think you'd be able to make that thing a little less uncomfortable."

She could almost see a smile on Severus' face, "Perhaps we merely enjoy watching those not accustomed to it squirm at the feeling." Motioning for her to follow him Severus began to walk down the street lined with shops.

Laurel rolled her eyes, "You're probably the only person that would find that amusing. Normal people aren't masochistic like that."

He let out a short laugh, before stopping in front of what was clearly the bookstore.

"I shouldn't take a long time, and will return here to retrieve you when I am finished with my errands." Laurel wasn't surprised when he walked off without saying anything else. Severus was never one to say things that didn't have a point.

Walking into the book store she was immediately overwhelmed by the amount of books in the store. It was much larger than it appeared to be from the outside. She quickly gave up finding a book on her own, knowing that it would take her more time than Severus would allow her, and found an employee.

"Excuse me?" she addressed a small blonde woman. She had a nametag on, it said Eliza, so Laurel thought it safe to assume she was a worker there. "Do you think you could help me find a book?"

Eliza smiled at her brightly, "I can sure try. What type of book are you looking for?"

"Just a general one, talking about all the different things in the magical world."

Eliza let out a short laugh, "Even if someone made a book like that it would be far too large and heavy for anyone to read. I would suggest picking one topic first, and getting a book on that. After you finish that one you could get another book and so on."

"Alright," Laurel agreed, "That sounds reasonable."

"Where did you want to start then?" Eliza clapped her hands together enthusiastically, "We have books on herbology, astrology, history, arithmancy, bestiology, charms, curses, divination, dragons, healing, potions, magical theory, runes, transfigurations, and a number of other, smaller topics."

Laurel's head spun. 'Why does the Wizarding world have to have so many damn different things?' "Where do you think a good place to start is?"

Eliza smiled, "Personally I think books on magical beasts are the most interesting. If you're looking for just general information I would suggest the book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, By Newt Scamander. Would you like me to show you where it is?"

"No thank you, I'm sure I'll be able to find it." 'Plus,' she added to herself, 'That way if it looks too confusing you won't think it's odd that I'm getting a book a first year might read.'

Luckily, the store was labeled nicely, and Laurel was able to find her way to the appropriate area without too much trouble. Checking the books one by one she was pleased to find that they also organized the books by the author's last name. It made sense that they would, but Laurel had been a little frightened they would have some sort of wacky magical sorting system that she wouldn't be able to understand.

Finding the 'S' section, she nearly cried out in disappointment when she realized the book that had been recommended to her was at the very top of one of the shelves. Standing on her toes she stretched one hand up, trying desperately to reach the book. When she wasn't successful she took a step back to breathe, before heading forward again.

Stepping on the bottom shelf she held onto the bookshelf with one hand, reaching the other up to get the book. Even with her arm strained to its limit she could still barely even touch the bottom of the book. This time, she let out a loud grunt of frustration as she stepped back to glare at the book.

"Having a little bit of trouble?" A soft male voice came from besides her.

Looking to her left she saw a man with light brown hair looking at her with an amused glint in his kind, but tired eyes.

"Yes actually, I can't reach the book I want."

"Did you need some help then?" His hands were placed in his pockets, and he appeared relaxed.

"That would be wonderful." Laurel exclaimed, never one to pass up help that was being offered, "It's the one by Newt Scamander."

Moments later Laurel had the book in her hands. Looking it over it seemed to be the perfect book for her. It went over almost all of the animals in detail without assuming that the reader already knows about them.

Smiling up at her 'savior' Laurel said, "Thank you so much, I don't think I would have been able to reach it if you hadn't been here."

"I'm sure you would have found someone willing to help you eventually."

He was pleasant and soft spoken, and Laurel took an immediate liking to him. "My name is Laurel." She said, holding one hand out.

He took her hand in his, and shook it solidly, "It's very nice to meet you Laurel. Mine is Remus."

"Well it has been lovely meeting you Remus, but I'm afraid I should leave. I'm here with someone and I don't want to keep them waiting or anything."

"Of course," He motioned to her book, "I hope you find the book helpful."

"I'm sure I will," She said, moving to rest the book on one of her hips. It was heavy, and she was having a difficult time holding it. "Thank you for the help, and if I ever have the opportunity I'll try to do something for you."

"That's not necessary," He said, already starting to walk away, "No one should be rewarded for doing the right thing."

Laurel smiled and went to pay for her book, unable to ignore the thought that ran through her head, 'I wish Severus could be that sweet sometimes.'

Walking out of the store with her new book in hand Laurel began to walk in the direction she had seen Severus go earlier. He had told her to wait, but if she found him first they could get back to the castle earlier than planned. Then, she could get a head start reading her brand new book. She had only gone a few feet when she stopped. There were three different paths she could choose from.

Her worried eyes searched each path for any sign of something familiar, but there was nothing she could find. Closing her eyes she spun in a quick circle. Stopping, she opened her eyes, and went in the direction she was facing.

It probably wasn't the best idea, but Laurel couldn't think of a better option just then. She had only been walking in that direction for about ten minutes when she decided she had gone the wrong way. The lights had been steadily getting darker, she was practically the only person on the street now, and she noticed that most of the shops here were out of business.

Squinting her eyes she looked as far forward as she could, just to see if there were any shops ahead that she might miss if she turned around, but when she couldn't find anything she decided it would be best to head back, and try a different direction.

She hadn't gone more than five feet when a figure stepped into her path. Reeling backward slightly in an attempt to stop she looked up to see the familiar face of a man she met last time she visited this place.

"Hello, Laurel, was it?" She nodded, "Ah yes, you're the apprentice of Severus Snape isn't that right? You remember meeting me before, don't you?"

Yeah, she remembered him, she remembered how creepy he had been, and the warning Severus had given her to stay away from him. "It's nice to see you again Mr. Malfoy, but I really should be going."

She tried to move forward but he stepped into her path, "Nonsense, you should come for a drink with me. There's a quaint little place just down the way here, and I would be more than willing to treat you to a cup."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Laurel said, clutching her book to her chest tightly, "I really should be getting back to Severus. I'm sure he's looking for me."

"He can wait." This guy was seriously beginning to creep Laurel out, "I wasn't expecting to run into you like this Laurel, but I'm glad I did. You see, we have been quite interested in you since the day I met you."

Laurel took a step back, doubting that this was a good thing. She didn't know what he meant by 'we' and she was sure she didn't want to find out. "Listen, I seriously need to go now."

When she heard a crunch of gravel behind her, Laurel whipped around to see two more men standing behind her.

Shit.

She didn't hear what he said, but when she turned around again she saw a large beam of light coming from Lucius' wand. Before she could react it hit her in the arm.

She could feel her muscles tighten slightly, and knew that whatever that spell was supposed to do it wasn't anything good. Taking in the shocked faces of the men before her she took advantage of the situation, and threw her book as hard as she could at Lucius, hitting him high on his chest, before running past him as fast as she could.

Even as she ran she could hear shouting and the scuffling of feet behind her, and knew they were running after her. Laurel was looking over her shoulder to see how close they were, when she ran into a very warm, very solid chest.

Scrambling, she tried to get away from the man in front of her, afraid he was with Lucius.

"Hey, settle down" She heard the man say. Realizing it was a familiar voice she looked up, relieved to see the face of Remus. Even though she had only met him today she had a feeling that he was someone she could trust.

Plus, the way he was glaring over her head at the men behind her was a clear signal that he wasn't their friend. "Are you alright?" He asked her, never taking his eyes off of the men behind her.

"Yeah," She said in a shaky voice. Looking over her shoulder, Laurel was glad to see the men who had been following her slowly walking off in another direction. "Just peachy."

Now looking at her, Remus asked, "What exactly were you doing in Knocturn Alley?"

Laurel assumed Knocturn Alley was the creepy place that she had just come out of. "I got lost, that's all." She clasped her hands in front of her, horrified to find they were trembling.

He raised one eyebrow, "Would you care to explain why there were three wizards chasing after you?"

Laurel stared at the ground. While Remus had been nothing but kind to her she wasn't sure it was the best idea to tell him that they were likely chasing her because of her strange ability. Technically, she didn't _actually_ know the reason, after all they never did tell her, so telling him that wouldn't be a lie. Technically.

"I'm not sure really, probably just because they're bad people." From the way he looked at her she could tell he didn't believe her. To distract him, she quickly added, "Could you show me the way to the apothecary? It seems I don't know the way very well."

He frowned at her, and pointed in the direction she just came from. "Just follow this straight and it'll be on your left. Unfortunately I have my own business to attend to, or I would show you the way there myself."

"That's perfectly fine Remus," She assured him, "You've done more than enough already." Waving she began to walk, faster than usual, in the direction he had pointed.

Laurel didn't slow down to a regular pace until she was once again around open shops, and among other shopper. Sure enough, she found the apothecary on her left, and entered the store quickly, hoping to find Severus there.

The store was filled with bottles, all containing odd looking things. Frankly, Laurel wasn't sure she wanted to know what most of the items were. Looking for any sign of unkempt black hair, or that familiar crooked nose, Laurel hurried around the apothecary. When she had made her way around the entire store Laurel leaned against an empty wall and closed her eyes.

'I should have just stayed at the bookstore.' She thought, and she could feel her eyes burning with the beginning of tears. 'Now, I'm lost, alone, with no way to find Severus.' Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she hugged herself, and tried not to cry.

"Unless I am mistaken this is not the library." Laurel's eyes shot open at the familiar voice, and saw Severus standing in front of her. "Was I not clear in my instructions for you to remain there?"

Almost not believing her eyes Laurel let out a short laugh, "You're here." She said simply, entirely sure there were tears building in her eyes.

"You do have a talent for telling me things I am already aware of." When tears finally began to roll down Laurel's cheeks he faltered, "You are upset." He pointed out, clearly expecting an explanation.

Another laugh escaped Laurel's lips, though this one was significantly wetter than her previous one. "Not upset really, more like overwhelmed." She corrected.

He frowned, "Was the book store truly that horrible?"

Using the edges of her sleeves Laurel wiped her face dry as her tears began to subside. "No, the book store was- oh! Dammit all!"

"Well that is an interesting was to describe the bookstore."

"No, I just realized that I dropped my book when-" Laurel cut off abruptly, wondering whether or not she should tell Severus about what happened. It didn't take her too long to decide not to tell him. He would probably just get upset at her for wandering off on her own. "I must have left it in the book store."

He almost looked amused at her supposed absentmindedness, "My own errands are complete, we should return there to retrieve it."

"No!" She said hurriedly, "That's alright. I mean... I might as well just leave it. We should probably be getting back soon." She thought to herself, 'I really need to work on this whole lying thing since I keep on finding myself in situations that require me to do it.'

"Really, if you paid for it already it would be a waste of money to not get it back."

Laurel groaned internally, of course he would have to be persistent, "Well... I'm sure they've put it back already or something like that. It'll just take forever and they'll probably make me pay for it again."

"I highly doubt they would do that. If you explain the situation I am sure they will understand."

Closing her eyes tightly Laurel said, "Please Severus, I just want to go home." She had had enough excitement for one day. After carefully studying her, Severus nodded his head curtly, and led her to a place they could safely use the portkey.

This time, Laurel welcomed the uncomfortable tug at her navel, as it meant she would be returning to Hogwarts, the place she had begun to think of as home.

**End Chapter Twenty One**

I hope the chapter was enjoyable! Remus is probably one of my favorite characters so I just had to bring that lovable fuzzy werewolf into my story.

Thanks goes out to everyone who reviewed! And Big buckets of thanks to my ever fantastic beta, evenstar101!

*Whoopsydaisy


	22. Placing the Blame

Disclaimer: Umm... Hi, my name is Candice and I've been able to admit that Harry Potter is not mine for Sixty Days. (Applause)

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Placing the Blame**

"Dumbledore is requesting an audience with us." Laurel looked up from the potions book she had been reading to see Severus standing a few feet away.

"What?" She asked, closing the book with a loud bang, "Have I done something wrong?"

Severus smirked, and Laurel could only assume it was because her thoughts jumped immediately to her being in trouble. "I haven't the slightest idea. However, we have been summoned, and we should arrive at his office as soon as we can."

Laurel nodded and jumped out of her chair to follow Severus. Soon enough, they found themselves rounding the staircase that led to Dumbledore's office. When they reached the top, Laurel was surprised to see that Dumbledore had a visitor.

"Remus," She exclaimed, shocked to see the kind stranger she had met while at Diagon Alley days earlier, "What are you doing here?"

Severus' eyes shot to her sharply, "And when exactly did you and Lupin become acquainted?"

Laurel winced, realizing that something was not right. Days had passed since the trip to Diagon Alley, and she had assumed nothing would ever come of it. Now, with Remus there, she knew something was going to come up that she would not enjoy.

"I met him when we went to Diagon Alley," she said, looking at Remus who was smiling at her kindly, "He helped me find a book." 'There, that wasn't a lie.'

Severus was still looking affronted when Dumbledore began to speak, "Ah yes, Remus kindly informed me of that encounter, as well as the one you had near the entrance to Knocturn Alley."

Laurel tried to ignore Severus' sharp gaze, but she could feel his glare hitting her harshly, "Strange," He said in a cold voice, "I never heard of this."

"I... Umm... That is..." Laurel stuttered, "I told you Remus," she said while pointing at him. It was a lousy attempt to redirect the conversation at him, "I just got lost that's all. Remus helped me find my way."

"That is true, however it wasn't the fact that you lost your way that concerned me enough to come here and talk to Albus. I was more concerned with those who were following you." Laurel knew he was just concerned, and trying to do the right thing, but she couldn't help but dislike him a little bit for bringing up this little bit of dirty laundry.

She slouched down, almost as though trying to sink into the chair and disappear completely. "Get on with it Lupin," Severus snapped, "Just bloody tell us what happened already." He did not sound happy, at all.

Remus sighed, "I told Albus this already, but when I came upon her the second time she was being pursued by Lucius Malfoy, and two wizards I did not recognize."

Laurel saw Severus stiffen, and could practically feel the anger radiating off of his body. "What?" He hissed dangerously, turning his glare on Laurel once again.

"Ms. Slade," Dumbledore said. Laurel turned to look at him and was surprised by the seriousness of his face, "Would you care to give us an account of what happened."

She sunk down even further in her chair, "Really, it's nothing."

"Yes," Severus drawled sarcastically, "Because it's so common that someone is chased down Knocturn Alley by three dark wizards."

"Please Laurel," Dumbledore asked; looking at the girl in question intensely, "This may be of the utmost importance. It would be best if you don't leave any detail out."

She looked around the room with wide eyes, intimidated by the three pairs of eyes locked on her. She knew it was time to tell the truth, otherwise she would only find herself in even deeper shit.

So, she told them, trying not to look at the way Severus' face seemed to darken with each word.

"What spell did he cast?" Dumbledore asked calmly when Laurel was finished telling her tale.

"I didn't hear the actual words, but I did feel some sort of effect from it. My muscles tightened slightly, and it was difficult to move for a moment. It wore off after not too long though." I noticed the three men did not seem too happy at this revelation. "Is that bad?"

"It is likely he cast a spell to petrify you," Dumbledore explained, "and when the spell failed to work they likely realized there is something different about you. I doubt they've realized what your gift actually is. Most likely they believe we put some sort of a protection spell on you, but that alone is enough to make them realize there is something valuable about you."

Laurel looked at Dumbledore worriedly, "So what exactly does this mean then?"

"It means, that it would be unwise for you to leave the castle without anyone by your side. If they do find you alone again, they will not hesitate to take you, and find out just what it is we are trying to hide."

Laurel wanted to curl up in a ball to hide from the world. Unfortunately, she knew that this wouldn't help anything. "This is all just plain screwed up."

"Indeed. It would also be wise for you to spend as little time alone in the castle as possible. While it is unlikely they will even attempt abduction from here there is always the possibility."

Laurel froze, fear filling her heart. She had begun to see Hogwarts as her home, a safe haven from those who wanted to harm her, and now Dumbledore was telling her they might be able to get her anyway? Would she ever really be safe anywhere?

She stared at the ground, "I'm usually with Snape or Pippa if I'm not in my room anyway, so that won't be too much of a stretch for me." The day wasn't even half over, and yet Laurel already felt drained. She was already planning to fall into her bed for a nap as soon as this meeting was over.

"That is marvelous. Severus, I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult for you to improve the wards over your dungeon."

"I will commence upgrading the spells immediately upon my return."

He nodded, "Very well. If neither of you have any questions I believe we have addressed all of the issues I wished to discuss."

No one spoke up, and soon everyone was standing from their chairs moving toward the stairs leading down to the rest of the castle. Before Laurel could reach the stairs Remus stepped in front of her.

"Laurel, I hope you do not hold any of this against me."

Before answering she looked past his form briefly, and felt disheartened when she saw Severus glaring in her direction. He was upset, and technically it was because of the actions of the man standing before her.

Sighing, she gave a weak smile to Remus. He had only been doing what he thought was right, and she couldn't hold that against him with a clear conscious. "It's not your fault Remus. I probably should have told Dumbledore, I just wasn't aware the event could have so many possible repercussions."

"I honestly wasn't even sure Dumbledore would know who you were. I brought it to his attention meaning only to inform him that Lucius Malfoy was possibly interested in someone. I was quite surprised to discover you were a resident at Hogwarts and even more surprised when Dumbledore told me of your ability."

Laurel was shocked that Dumbledore would tell this man about what she could do. Apparently he wasn't just some random man. Dumbledore must have complete trust in him to tell him something like that.

"It's all right Remus; really, I won't hold it against you or anything." They walked down the stairs slowly, and Laurel began to make the way to her room, Remus following beside her.

"Other than that, how has life here at Hogwarts been treating you?"

"It's been rather nice. I've made some good friends, and all of the different potions you have are quite fascinating really."

Laurel noticed Remus suppress a grimace, "That's right; Dumbledore said you were studying under Snape. That must be a horror in and of itself."

Laurel frowned. She found it difficult enough to deal with Pippa constantly bashing on Severus, she wasn't sure if she liked knowing Remus would do the same thing. "He's a bit stubborn, but he's always been fair." She wasn't about to lie and say he'd always been nice to her, but she had to stick up for him. "Plus, he has a sense of humor that I can understand, and it makes the longer, more difficult potions easier to handle."

"Don't tell me he actually makes jokes."

Laurel was outright scowling now. Apparently he wasn't catching onto the fact that she enjoyed spending time with Severus. "Yes," she said shortly, beginning to walk faster.

"Hey," said Remus, placing one hand on her shoulder to slow her down, "I'm sorry if I offended you. He's probably different around you than he is me. After all, you do spend the majority of every day by his side."

Laurel was placated a little, glad that Remus had apologized, and admitted he might have been wrong. That was more than Pippa had ever done. "Sorry, it's just I get tired of people constantly insulting him. He's not a bad person, and he really tries to do the right thing." She looked at the floor, "It's just the right thing isn't always the easiest for people to understand. Does that make any sense?" She lifted her eyes to meet Remus'.

He nodded, and didn't say anything else.

They walked in silence for a while, before Laurel couldn't tolerate it any more. "Where do you know Severus from?"

"We went to school together, at Hogwarts actually."

"I take it you weren't the best of friends."

Remus laughed, "Was the animosity between us that obvious?"

"Not really, in fact, I could tell that he doesn't hate you." Remus didn't look very shocked, but Laurel felt like she should still explain, "It was clear that he has some sort of grudging respect for you. Still, you guys aren't going to be all buddy buddy any time soon."

"We have far too much history together to ever be good friends, though I am glad to have his respect. That's something he doesn't hand out freely."

Laurel scrunched her nose. She knew all too well just how difficult it could be to earn the potion master's respect. When they reached a fork in the corridor, Remus turned to Laurel, "I'm afraid I must part from you here. I came only to speak to Dumbledore, and I should leave soon for fear of overstaying my welcome."

Laurel waved, "It was nice seeing you again Remus, especially since the circumstances were far more desirable."

He began to walk away, "Hopefully I will have the chance to see you again, under better conditions still."

Laurel smiled, thinking she might like that. Remus wasn't perfect, but no one was. As long as he kept his Severus hating down to a minimum she didn't see any reason they couldn't be good friends.

True to her word, Laurel collapsed on her bed as soon as she returned to her room. Her eyes shut instantly, and she was well on her way to a comfortable nap.

She was so relaxed, that she didn't notice someone enter her room until they announced their presence to her, "Get up." Severus hissed from where he stood, just inside her room.

Trying to wipe the sleep from her eyes Laurel yawned, "Do you have a problem with asking permission to enter someone's room? How did you get in this time? I know I didn't tell you my password."

"Dumbledore did." He walked toward where Laurel sat on the bed, "I mentioned to him it might be wise for some wards to be placed on your own quarters, and he assigned me the task. So, here I am, ready to start fixing up the mess you seem to have made."

Laurel lowered her eyes. "I know I messed up, but I was just trying to find you. I thought it might help us get back to the castle faster."

"I told you to stay in the bookstore Laurel." His voice was steadily climbing in volume, "I gave you one simple rule, and not only did you ignore it entirely, but you managed to find the one person in the entire Wizarding world that I warned you to stay away from. Lucius bloody fucking Malfoy." He was practically shouting, and Laurel cringed away from him.

"It's not like I searched him out or anything." Laurel said, her trembling voice trying to form some sort of defense, "I got lost and he found me."

Severus clenched his fist together tightly, and began pacing the room, "That's right, you got lost in Knocturn Alley. Tell me Laurel, how is it that you somehow manage to do everything in the worst possible manner."

Laurel's eyes began burning and she tried desperately to hold back the tears. She knew she was in the wrong, and that everything he was saying was the truth, but still, she couldn't stop her chin from quivering as she heard his accusations.

"I'm sorry." She said, not trusting her voice to hold out for anything longer than that.

He sighed heavily, and facing away from her he rested his hand on her desk, leaning over and bending his head down. "You just have to understand Laurel," he said, his voice considerably softer and all too ragged, "I can't protect you if you refuse to listen to what I tell you to do."

Laurel froze, her heart bleeding for the broken man she saw before her. He was blaming himself. He had taken responsibility for her care on his shoulders, and now that something like this had happened he was ripping himself to pieces trying to compensate for it.

"No Severus," She said in a hushed tone, taking a small step toward him, "You need to understand that I am not a porcelain doll to be protected. I can make my own decisions, and the consequences belong to only me."

"You don't know this world," he said, shaking his head, "You can't be responsible when you don't even know the consequences your actions could have."

"Ignorance is not an excuse," She almost winced at how contrived that sounded, "You told me to stay in the bookstore and I made the conscious decision not to listen to you."

"Your decision was not a fully informed one Laurel. I didn't tell you what was out there, what you could have run into. With Knocturn Alley so close I should have warned you of it. Instead, I left you with the idea that you were walking into a perfectly safe shopping area."

"Severus..." She placed a hand on his shoulder from her position behind him, and was disappointed, but not surprised, when he shrugged it off.

"Do you even know what would have happened if things didn't happen like they did, if they had gotten you?"

"They didn't Severus, Remus was there, and I'm perfectly fine."

She didn't think he heard her, "They do horrible things to people Laurel, inhumane things. They can put you through so much pain that you wish they would just kill you on the spot. Then, they might fix you up and do it again."

From the dark tone of his voice Laurel couldn't help but think he was speaking from experience, "I'm fine Severus," She reiterated, "Never better, really, and now I know better."

He laughed a chilling laugh that sent shivers down her spine, "It doesn't matter. They know something is strange about you now, and they will never stop hunting. They don't forgive, they don't forget, and once they have you they will never let you go."

"Severus," She said, becoming almost frightened of the man before her, "Can we just stop please. I know I made a mistake, and I know I will pay for it. Didn't you say something about wards?" She hoped that the prospect of work would take his mind off of what he had learned.

She was happy when he straightened up, and took his wand out of where he kept it in his sleeve. As he went around the room Laurel watched him wave his wand without speaking. If she didn't know any better she would have thought he wasn't really doing anything at all.

"Did you have a nice little chat with Remus?" He said after a few minutes of silence.

Laurel started at the way he practically spit out Remus' name. "He just wanted to make sure I understood why he came to Dumbledore."

"Of course he did." Severus mumbled under his breath and Laurel could have sworn she heard something about "prats" and "stupid Gryffindors".

It probably wasn't the best decision she ever made, but she was curious as to why he would be so upset that she had talked to Remus. So, she decided to push the matter, "He seems like a nice person. Well mannered, polite, he didn't have to apologize, and I'm sure it was difficult for him, but he did so anyway. Not many people would have done something like that."

She tried not to be too obvious in her observation of him, but she noticed the way his hand tightened considerably on his wand. "Is that so?" He hissed out through clenched teeth.

"Oh yes," She nodded, with more exuberance than she really felt, "He even walked me back to my room. It was very chivalrous of him." That wasn't exactly the truth, but if Severus believed her crappy lie she wasn't about to correct him.

"You shouldn't get too comfortable around him Laurel, he's a dangerous sort."

Laurel snorted, "Are you joking Severus, the man was so passive, he hardly seemed like he would challenge a rat to a fight."

She wondered why Severus looked so amused for a second, before once again turning ominous, "I don't know about in the muggle world or America for that matter, but here, we generally consider werewolves to be quite dangerous."

Laurel frowned, "That's not a nice thing to say Severus. If you don't want me to be friends with him just tell me. You shouldn't take my ignorance of everything here and give someone a made up disease just so I'll stay away from him."

Severus stopped his work entirely to look at Laurel, "I assure you, I spoke nothing but the truth. Werewolves are a fact, and Remus is one of them."

Laurel stared at him, before paling slightly when she determined he was telling the truth. "Christ, do you have zombies, vampires or other things like that too?"

If Severus seemed upset at her lack of response to his revelation he didn't say anything, "Any creature that you know of from muggle myths or stories can be found if you know where to look for them," He frowned, thinking for a moment, "Except for the Amphiptére. No one knows how the hell someone thought that up."

Laurel frowned, "Why are you telling me this?"

She noticed he was trying to avoid her gaze, "I just feel you should know all of the facts."

"That's something you should have let Remus tell me if we got to know each other better. It wasn't your secret to share."

He had the decency to look slightly sheepish, "Doesn't that change how you see him though?"

She thought for a moment, "I probably won't invite him over on the night of a full moon or anything, but he can't hurt me any other time, so I don't see what's wrong with it." She paused for a moment, "It's not like this is the strangest thing I've learned since coming here."

He frowned, "You are far too trusting." He said, going back to his work.

Laurel smiled at him and teased, "I guess you're just lucky then."

**End Chapter Twenty Two**

A/N:

Just in case anyone doesn't know, (It's not a very well known myth so I'm sure there's at least one person) the Amphiptére is a winged serpent said to guard Frankincense trees in Arabia. It was just the first mythical creature that I thought of that hadn't already been mentioned somewhere in the Harry Potter series. I never noticed how well Rowling covered her bases when it came to mythical creatures until I had to find one that she missed.

Sorry it took me so long to get this up too. I try to update at least once a week, but I went to Disneyland!  On the way back I was in a car accident. Some jerk decided it would be fun to tailgate me and ended up rear ending me. Everyone is fine, just a few bumps and bruises, but it's been hell trying to get a car. School just started for me and I've been busy trying to figure out how to get to my school and hour away through public transportation. The next chapter shouldn't take as long!

Well, besides that, hope you all enjoyed the chapter! :) Thanks to everyone who reviewed and my super beta evenstar101 whom I do have to apologize to! I missed beta-ing one of her chapters because of my vacation! Sorry!!!

Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!

*Whoopsydaisy


	23. Happy Christmas

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, Victor Crum would have reached the trophy with Harry at the end of Gof instead of Cedric Diggory. :(

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Happy Christmas**

He had failed her.

Again.

When Severus went into Dumbledore's off with Laurel, the sight of Remus told him that something was wrong. At the mention that something happened to Laurel during their trip to Diagon Alley, his blood began seething.

He knew something had happened, she had been shaking, crying, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why she was so adamant about not returning to retrieve her book. He was quite upset when he realized it was because she was too afraid to return to the place she had had the confrontation.

By the time Laurel was finished telling her story, Severus' ears were ringing and his hands were clenched so tight he could feel his nails biting into the flesh of his palm. She had lied to him. Outright lied.

Severus wasn't entirely sure if he was so upset because of the lie itself, or because he hadn't realized the severity of the situation. The girl was a dismal liar, but still, he had assumed she was so upset because of the unfamiliarity of the place. He had felt bad for leaving her alone, thinking that it had frightened her.

When he learned that she had, in reality, been frightened by Lucius Malfoy, he became angry.

It would be a lie if he said he wasn't mad at Laurel at all. She had purposely ignored what he told her to do, and had put herself in an almost immeasurable amount of danger. It made him upset, but hopefully she had learned that she should listen when he gives instructions.

More so, though, he was absolutely furious with himself.

He had left her alone in an unfamiliar area. He hadn't even shown her where he was going, how she could reach him if she wanted to. He'd left her defenseless, and unaccompanied. When it came to Laurel that seemed to be a dangerous combination.

Because of his thoughtlessness, Lucius Malfoy had learned that there was something different about Laurel, something that Albus Dumbledore was willing to protect. Doubtless, he would also realize that she was someone the Dark Lord might be interested in getting a hold of.

Even as they all got up to leave Dumbledore's office he was focusing solely on what he could do to keep her safe. Well, at least he was until he saw Remus talk to Laurel.

Then, Laurel talked back to him. If looks could kill, the glare Severus sent at Remus would have had him six feet under in a second. Remus helped her in the book store, Remus saved her from Lucius Malfoy, and now Remus was the one captivating her attention.

Severus couldn't help but think that those were all things he should have been the one to do.

Severus had barely even left Dumbledore's office when he returned. "Albus," he said, walking toward the old man, "There is something I wish to propose."

Albus nodded his head to signal Severus to continue. "It is sensible to compel Ms. Slade to remain in the company of others however I think it might also be prudent to place wards around her own quarters."

"That is a wise suggestion Severus. Do you have a specific type of ward in mind, or were you thinking in more general terms than that?"

"In the case of Ms. Slade I think a combination of wards would be the best option. One could be defensive, placing a curse on the intruder, while a second ward would alert someone of the trespasser." He tried to think of a way he could say what he wanted to without making his true intentions obvious. "Seeing as my room is the closest to Ms. Slade's I would be in the best position to come to her aid." He wanted to make sure that if someone was in Laurel's room, he would know about it. The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes told Severus that the old man had seen through his fancy words.

"Of course Severus, if you feel yourself the best person then by all means we should set the wards to alert you. Would you be willing to set up the wards yourself? I wouldn't ask this of you normally, however I have been rather flooded with work as of late, preparing for the students to return."

Severus nodded. He wouldn't have wanted anyone else to put the wards up anyway. He was more than happy to personally ensure the wards were strong, and there was no chance for failure.

Dumbledore told Severus Laurel's password, and he was soon on his way. When he entered her room, he saw her sprawled carelessly on her bed. She was still over the blanked, and even her shoes remained on, hanging slightly over the edge of the bed.

He smiled sadly as he looked at her, knowing that she was someone he wanted to be around for the rest of his life, and yet that wasn't a possibility for him. Still, he knew that he was willing to risk everything to keep her safe.

His face clouded over in anger as he remembered just why he was here. He yelled at her to get up, and he hardly even remembered the words that followed. What he was able to recall later, however, was the torrent of emotions that had run through his body.

He was sad, angry, frustrated, annoyed. The walls he had built up slightly broke down as he tried to get her to understand just how important it was that she followed his instructions.

He needed her to know just how important she was to him.

His mind ran through the possibilities, what might have happened if Remus hadn't been there, and Lucius had actually gotten her. He knew firsthand the violence that could be caused at the hands of people like Lucius Malfoy.

He was placated slightly by the fact that the spells they might use on her would have little effect. Still, he was going to do all he could to keep her away from them. There were things they could do without magic that could inflict horrifying amounts of pain.

Severus had the scars to prove that.

She had asked him to stop, and he could hear the honest fear in her voice. She was afraid, and he was doing nothing to help her feel safe. He sighed heavily and followed her suggestion to work on the wards.

As he was working, he attempted to casually ask Laurel about her interactions with Remus. Unfortunately it came out more bitter than casual. Laurel told him all about what he had done, from explaining his reason, and even apologizing for his actions, to escorting her back to her room.

It sounded like the damn man was courting her.

Remus was a decent fellow, but the fact that he seemed to be becoming chummy with Laurel irked him to no end. Before he even realized what he was doing he heard himself blurt out Remus' secret. The guilt for that would come later, but at the moment Severus was more interested in what Laurel's reaction would be.

At first she denied werewolves existed at all. Severus thought that she would have no problem believing in werewolves since she had seen a centaur just a short while ago.

When she finally accepted their existence, she scolded him. That shocked Severus more than anything else. She had reprimanded him for sharing a secret that was not his, and he could not help but feel a little bit of disappointment that she was not more frightened that she was just in the presence of a werewolf.

When he asked her about her reaction to the news, and how it would affect her relationship with Remus, she had given him almost the exact same response Lily had, when he questioned her on the same thing.

A few months ago, that would have made Severus' mind fixate on everything Lily, and it would have set Severus off in a fiery rage of anger and self loathing. Now, he just felt a bitter pang of remorse as he smiled softly at Laurel and told her that she was far too trusting.

Christmas time snuck up on Severus, and soon he found himself skulking about a castle decorated in red and green. The paintings sang carols, and all of the students seemed to be filled with holiday cheer.

It was incessantly bothersome.

As a child Severus had looked forward to Christmas. His mother would always leave the perfect gift for him under their Christmas tree. When he went off to Hogwarts, he had no Christmas tree of his own.

There was a tree in the Great Hall, of course, but it was decorated with strange ornaments, and the lights were colored and blinking, instead of the passive white lights he had become accustomed to.

What hit him the most was the fact that when he woke up on Christmas morning he didn't have a present waiting for him under the tree. An owl would always arrive for him at breakfast, but it wasn't nearly the same thing. While others exchanged gifts with friends Severus would open the lone present he received from his mother.

After that, it wasn't nearly the same.

Christmases at Hogwarts had now become routine for Severus, and he actually found it quite agreeable that he knew exactly what to expect.

Dumbledore would be in his classroom around six in the morning. Every Christmas he went around to all of the teachers handing out their presents. Severus would always receive some sort of potions ingredient. It was never the same ingredient any two years in a row, but they all were extremely rare, and extremely expensive. Along with the present Dumbledore would always add that it was to be used for Severus' own cause, and never the classroom's potions.

At breakfast, he would receive a book from Minerva. For all that she acted stern and somber, Severus found over the years that he appreciated her subtle humor, and varied references. Many of the references, especially the ones taken from muggle literature, were unfamiliar to Severus, and were lost on him entirely. Minerva knew him far too well to attempt explaining the allusions to him, and instead, come Christmas time, she would give him a book to add to his own personal collection. Every book was one she had alluded to at one time or another.

He appreciated the subtlety a great deal.

The more polite members of the remaining staff, feeling obligated to give a present to every one of their colleagues, would give him the default gift. It was the gift that you give someone when you feel like you should, but you really don't want to. Generally, it was a generous amount of seasonal candy. Some even put it in a type of decorative wrapping.

The only real variable every year was Hagrid. The man frustrated Severus completely with his attempts at gift giving. A few years back he had attempted to give Severus a Niffler, but Severus had thrown such a fit that he decided it was best to take the animal back.

The next few years after that were free of gifts from Hagrid. Severus was sure he had traumatized the man, and that he would never again receive a gift from Hagrid. However, just last year he attempted to force a gift on Severus once more. The giant oaf was closer to the mark this time, with a pair of sensible earmuffs, a boring gift, but a useful one.

That is, they are useful unless you were Severus, who would refuse outright to wear earmuffs just on principle. The earmuff still sat in one of Severus' drawers; he wasn't quite sure which one, without even the tag removed.

Severus hoped that Hagrid wouldn't make another attempt at a gift.

The morning of Christmas day went by without too much of a hitch. Dumbledore had given him the expected potions ingredient and he had already begun to read the book Minerva had given him, a muggle book which Severus would never have even looked at himself. Before the day was even half over he already had more than enough assorted candies from the rest of the staff to last him a few months.

It wasn't until later in the day that something happened he was not expecting. Hagrid hadn't yet dropped by to give him a "gift", so when Severus heard a knock at his door, he was expecting the half giant to walk in when he called for the person to enter.

Instead, Laurel walked in.

He tried not to let the surprise show on his face. "I believe I gave you the week off Laurel, is there something you require?" He asked, a small smile coming to his face. He found it more difficult every day to resist smiling when he saw her.

She beamed at him, "You didn't really think I'd leave you alone for Christmas, did you?" She walked over to his desk and placed a small box in front of him. "Merry Christmas! Or, I suppose it's Happy Christmas here. They mean the same thing in case I confused you."

"Somehow I was able to discern that." He reached for the box, wrapped pleasantly in red paper, and fiddled with it awkwardly. "I must apologize Laurel, however I find myself unable to bestow a gift upon you in return. I am quite unprepared for this." He had gotten a small gift for Dumbledore and Minerva, as he always did, but he honestly didn't even think for a moment that Laurel might give him a present.

She waved a hand at him, "Don't even worry about it. Hagrid paid for most of it. He asked me for some help finding you a gift. I tried to get him to give it to you, but he seemed adamant that you were unlikely to accept it if he was the one to present it."

Severus frowned, feeling slightly bad for the way he had treated Hagrid. The man had only been trying to give him a decent present after all, and he had tossed them all to the side like used garbage.

Still, he found it difficult to believe that anyone could really be _that _bad at choosing gifts for people.

Slightly placated by Laurel's explanation, however all the more wary of what exactly in the box, Severus tugged at the edges of the wrapping paper. Once the paper was removed he lifted the top of the box and peered inside.

"It's a dream stone." Laurel said eagerly before Severus could say anything, "It's supposed to help you sleep better, and have more pleasant dreams. I noticed you've been tired a lot lately, and figured you could use some decent rest."

Severus stared at the small green stone padded comfortably in white cotton. "I am aware what it is, and what it is capable of. What I do _not _understand is how you came across one."

He didn't fail to notice the way her feet shifted uncomfortably. She was nervous. "Well, I told you. Hagrid got it. He just asked me for some advice."

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh? He just asked you and immediately you suggested a stone that you knew nothing about?"

She flushed, "How do you know I didn't know about it Severus? You're not the only person I talk to you know."

He stared at her, and it wasn't long before she broke. "Fine," She said, turning her head to look away, "Pippa and I went shopping in Hogsmeade." Severus opened his mouth to say something, but Laurel continued, giving him a purposeful look. "We asked Dumbledore, and he gave his permission. It was his suggestion to bring someone along, and I thought Hagrid would be a good choice considering he actually had asked me for help choosing a gift for you."

"You could have asked me." He pointed out, trying to bottle up his frustration. Something could have happened to her, and he could have done nothing about it.

"I was going to." She admitted, before looking to the ground sheepishly, "But I wanted to get you a present, and I knew that if you came along you would never leave me alone. I wouldn't get a chance to buy anything for you."

She was right. Had he gone with them he would have been two steps behind her the entire time. Although, he wasn't about to admit that to her.

"Did you have a nice time?" He hissed out through clenched teeth. Maybe if she thought he was okay with her leaving the castle she would bring him with her next time. She didn't have to know that he absolutely abhorred the idea of her leaving at all.

"Yeah," She said, lackluster, "It was a cute little place, and I really enjoyed some of the shops, but the day itself was kind of annoying."

Well, this was a strange development. Severus would rarely hear Laurel complain about a day. "How so?"

"Well, Pippa didn't really want Hagrid to come along." Laurel pulled her chair closer to Severus' desk and sat down, resting her elbows on the side. "She wanted it to be sort of a girl's day. When I told her Hagrid would be coming with us she became in a sour mood, and that mood pretty much stayed with her the entire day. It's a little difficult to enjoy a day out when someone is grumbling and mumbling the whole time because they didn't get their way."

Severus perked up. Was Laurel finally realizing that Pippa was an annoying loudmouth? "Well then, that couldn't have been too much fun." He said, trying not to act too jovial.

"Yeah," Laurel said, and she scrunched up her nose, "It wasn't really something that she would normally do though. She lets things like that go pretty easy. It was sort of strange."

Strange in Hogwarts usually meant something was wrong. He let Laurel continue. "In fact, she's been acting strange in general lately. I can't place my finger on it, but she hasn't been herself."

"Since when?"

"Umm... I'm not sure really, probably a little more than a week. Why?"

He never gave her an answer, mostly because he didn't want to hurt her. He disliked Pippa greatly, but Laurel was her friend, and his current thoughts would do little but cause Laurel distress.

The infamous trip to Diagon Alley had happened a week and a half ago.

Severus knew there was a spy for Voldemort in the Castle, and he had been keeping his eye out for anything suspicious. Unfortunately for Pippa, a sudden change in behavior right when Voldemort might be ordering his spy to find a way to kidnap Laurel was definitely suspicious. Pippa Russell had just become his biggest suspect for the spy

When he first learned of the spy, he had joked that it was Pippa. It was a cruel fantasy built on spite. Now, with the knowledge that his momentary musings might have been correct, he couldn't stop part of him from giggling gleefully with the knowledge.

Still, he knew that if he was right, Laurel would be sorely upset, and that might hurt her more than anything else.

This new development could only be described as bittersweet.

**End Chapter Twenty Three**

So sorry the updates seem to be coming slower, school seems to be kicking my ass. Still, I will try to keep updates regular. :) No matter what, I will continue posting! Promise!

Thank you everyone for the wonderful reviews! It might sound funny but it actually made me feel happy to hear some people express their problems or concerns with the story. :-P Hopefully this chapter is okay! Tell me what you think!

*Whoopsydaisy


	24. Tentative Testing

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter.

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Tentative Testing**

Laurel walked to breakfast with sagging shoulders and heavy eyelids. Since the infamous trip to Diagon Alley, Laurel spent most of her nights staying up to study anything she could. She weaseled a few books out of Snape, with relatively little trouble actually, and they kept her up hours past what should have been her bed time.

While this was a wonderful thing to help expand her knowledge of the Wizarding world, it was making getting up for breakfast more difficult by the day.

As she sat in her seat, Pippa and Severus on either side of her, she grabbed a banana and peeled it carefully, reveling in the sweet taste as it flooded her taste buds. Wishing that coffee was more prominent in England, Laurel reached for the closest cup of tea she could find, deciding that the caffeine in there would have to do for the moment.

"You are peculiarly ravenous today. Is this a special occasion?"

Swallowing the remaining banana in her mouth, Laurel reached for a muffin, "No reason, I'm just hungry I guess." She wasn't about to tell him it was because she hadn't been sleeping much. She always tended to eat more when she was sleep deprived. Someone had told her once that the sugars food contained helped the body regain energy. Whatever the reason, she knew Severus would merely fixate on the fact that she hadn't been sleeping.

"Is there something wrong with a female having a healthy appetite Snape?" Pippa asked calmly, taking a sip of orange juice.

Severus scowled, "I insinuated no such thing. I was merely observing that Laurel appears to be consuming a larger quantity of food than she generally would during breakfast, and at a much faster rate."

Laurel pinched the bridge of her nose as she heard Pippa give some sort of snide remark in return. The two were no better than children, and Laurel had given up hope of them ever getting along some time ago. Still, it was far too early for her to deal with this.

Instead, she decided to divert the conversation with the first thought that came to mind. "I had the strangest dream last night." Finding the fruit bowl Laurel took a bunch of grapes, and began to pop them into her mouth.

Luckily the suddenness of her statement, and the fact that it was completely unexpected, caused her two friends to forget their argument entirely. "Well that is quite the accomplishment."

Though his voice was full of sarcasm Laurel was glad to see his eyes dancing with amusement, and a hint of curiosity. "It is actually. It's one of the first dreams I've remembered in years, and definitely the strangest."

"How so?" Pippa inquired, taking a large bite out of a muffin.

"Well, mostly because of the fact that nothing really happened. All of the dreams I remember have some sort of plotline, as strange as that plotline might be. This was the first one I've ever had with no real substance. It was just a short snippet of confusion really."

Smirking, Severus asked coolly, "Are you planning on notifying us on the content of your dream, or are you merely telling us so we may spend our day wondering just what it was you dreamt about?"

"Well since you asked so nicely," Laurel rolled her eyes, "It was only for a second, but I saw myself, sitting in a chair in my own room. There was this snake trailing around the room. It curled up near my feet and fell asleep. It was the oddest thing." She shook her head, smiling slightly.

There was a loud gasp from next to Severus and Laurel saw the small head of Trelawney peek out from behind him. Laurel hadn't talked to Trelawney much, mostly because the woman would constantly make the most absurd, and useless predictions.

"Dear, did you manage to notice exactly what specific breed of snake slept at your feet in your dream?"

Amused, and slightly exasperated, Laurel looked at Severus, and was surprised to see that he had stiffened, and looked slightly concerned. Shaking her head, she answered, "No, I really don't remember too much detail of the actual snake. Really, I only remember that it was there."

Trelawney shook her head and made a 'tsk' sound. "That is truly a shame dear. Without the actual breed of snake it is impossible for me to tell exactly what the dream meant."

Laurel laughed, but tried to do it quietly, not wanting to offend Trelawney. She found the whole idea of dreams predicting the future entirely ridiculous. "That's perfectly fine. I'm sure whatever it was telling me will work itself out in time."

"Signs of the future are not something you should wipe aside so casually. A snake in your dream can mean anything from a disabling injury," She paused dramatically, "to death."

Laurel swallowed tightly. While she thought Trelawney was somewhat of a nutcase, it was still difficult to hear someone basically tell you that you were going to die.

Trelawney continued, "The most common snake found in dreams however, is the adder. If it was the adder you saw in your dream it means your enemies are plotting against you."

She stared at her plate, her appetite that was so huge at the beginning of the meal, was almost nonexistent now. Laurel suddenly wished she could recall more details of the snake, if only to prove that it was not an adder.

She felt completely ridiculous.

"I had a dream about a snake once Trelawney, only the snake turned into a lion, ate my younger brother, and disappeared behind an oak tree. Does that mean something special too?" Pippa either didn't notice the tension that followed Trelawney's revelation, or she was purposefully attempting to dispel it. Laurel honestly wasn't sure.

Trelawney frowned, "I was merely attempting to help Ms. Slade decipher her dream in an attempt to help her avoid possible tragedies in the future." Sniffing, she turned her head. "If my assistance is not appreciated however, I will use my talents to aid others."

"Besides," Snape cut in sarcastically, "That sounds so utterly unsettling that I have no desire to listen to any explanation."

"I think you're just jealous that I can actually talk about my dreams Snape. Would you be willing to share any of yours with us?"

Laurel clenched her eyes shut. Laurel never knew it would be so easy for two people to get into arguments, no matter how small or petty the arguments were. With her eyes shut, however, she missed the almost unnoticeable blush that lit Severus' face.

When Severus opened his mouth to speak Laurel expected him to retort, but instead his words were directed at her. "Laurel, there is some business we must attend to after classes are finished. Are you opposed to remaining in the dungeons for a few hours after classes are finished?"

Putting some jam on a piece of toast, Laurel answered, "I don't have anything to do today so that should be fine. Does Poppy need us to make a new potion for her?"

His eyes shot toward Pippa briefly before focusing back on his breakfast. "Potions testing." He said shortly, bringing a piece of bacon to his own mouth.

Laurel nodded in understanding. They weren't going to be testing out a potion; they were going to be testing her reaction. He wanted to see if the warming potion was just a fluke, or if any potion could affect her.

After classes, she discovered that she was indeed correct, "I felt it would be practical to test your reaction to potions. Your reaction to the warming potion was..." He hesitated, his palms clenched, "unexpected, though that could merely be because no one has ever been covered in the amount that you were, and especially not with open wounds."

Laurel stared at him, "So you think there's a chance that my ability causes potions to react more strongly to me?"

He nodded sharply, "I do not have an explanation, but in an effort to learn more about your condition I thought it would be wise to see if potions affect you the way they would anyone else."

It was a smart thing to do. Laurel knew it was unlikely she would never come into contact with another potion, and knowing how she would react would help them to be more prepared.

"Alright," She agreed without much hesitance, "What potion do you intend on testing first?"

He held up a vial filled with a sickly green liquid, "This one." He said, looking at her with an amused smirk.

Her confidence level dropped as she took the vial out of his hand, "Wonderful, and what exactly is it that this potion does?"

His amusement only seemed to grow. "You must understand Laurel, that from a purely technical point of view it is imperative that you do not know the intention of the potion you are about to ingest. The mind can work wonders, and if you have expectations for the potion they may magnify your response, or even create a response where one shouldn't have been."

"Right," She said around her suddenly dry mouth, "Well then," She held the bottle up and outward toward Severus, "Cheers." Holding her breath and closing her eyes she tipped her head back and downed the potion.

Taking a deep breath she waited for something to happen, a limb to fall off, or her hair to change color. She was surprised when nothing felt different. Everything, down to the last fingernail, felt completely normal.

"Do you feel light headed at all?" Severus asked, and Laurel shook her head, entertained when he found something to scribble down on a piece of paper anyway. "No dizziness or nausea?"

Laurel shook her head, "Is that really what you gave me, a potion to make me light headed, dizzy, and nauseous?"

He ignored her, "Do you have any problems seeing or hearing?" Another shake of the head and more scribbling. "Other than the symptoms I have inquired about, do you feel different than you normally do in any way, shape, or form?"

For some reason when he said, 'way, shape, or form' she felt it was appropriate to take him quite literally. "I feel just as plain and normally as I usually do." She wondered what that potion was supposed to do, and why it wasn't affecting her at all.

"Excellent." Severus said, infuriating Laurel as he wrote more notes down without explaining anything.

"That's it?" She said incredulously, "I have no reaction at all and you're happy about that?" She didn't understand. Her reaction to the warming potion was so severe, and now she was having no reaction at all. How could that possibly be a good thing?

He scribbled down a few notes on a piece of paper before responding, "To tell you anything about the potions we are testing would cause any results we gain to become worthless. You do not need to know what a potion does for it to affect you."

She narrowed her eyes at him, swearing she saw a hind of a smile playing on his lips.

She huffed, not nearly satisfied with his cop out answer, and watched him warily as he held out another vial, this one filled with a dark blue liquid. She took it carefully, and clenching her eyes shut she downed it. This one tasted bitter as it ran down her throat.

For a moment, she felt fine, and looked at Severus expectantly, "Really, if the first one didn't work what would make you think the second one would?" She said, before the world went black and she fell to the ground gracelessly.

She didn't know how much later it was, but when Laurel opened her eyes next, she was lying on the ground, Severus standing over her.

Laurel reached her hands up to grip her head. It was pounding, most likely from when it hit the floor as she fell. "Well I guess that one wasn't a placebo at all. What happened?"

"It was a sleeping potion." He said without looking up from the paper he had been writing notes on all evening, "You fell asleep in an acceptable amount of time, and when I administered the antidote it performed as expected."

She tilted her head at him curiously, "Then what was that first potion for? Why did the sleeping potion work when the first one didn't?"

He smirked, and Laurel couldn't help but feel like she was missing out on some big joke.

"You reacted to the concoction as anyone else might have."

Her eyes widened, "So something did happen?" She looked down at her hands, studying them carefully, "I don't see any physical changes and I don't feel any different so it didn't do anything, right?" He was full out grinning at her now and she gasped loudly, "Unless it's something that I can't see myself. Does everyone see me as a horrible monster now? Will it wear off soon? How does this-"

"Please Laurel, spare us your ramblings. It was a mixture of water and a few harmless herbs to change the color."

Laurel gaped at him, "You gave me colored water in place of a potion? That's sick Severus. Here I thought I was some awful disfigured creature and you just laughed at me."

All hints of a smile were instantly wiped from his face. Laurel was almost frightened at the amount of control he had over his features.

"It was necessary to ensure any results we received were accurate. I have administered the placebo to many students, and their mind creates a result where there should be none. Your lack of reaction ensures me any reaction caused by the following potions would be created entirely by the potion, and not affected by your mental state."

She stood up from the ground, "I'm glad my mind is weak enough to please you," She said dryly, "So what are we going to test next?"

"Nothing," He put down his pen and looked at her, apparently finished with his notes, "I am satisfied with the results. You may do as you wish for the remainder of the evening."

Laurel could tell she had been dismissed, but she didn't particularly care. "That's it? Really? There are so many more potions though, and the ones that you tested are hardly dangerous."

He stiffened in his seat at his desk, "I hardly think it appropriate to test any potions on you that might be construed as dangerous." He clearly thought that would be the last thing said on the matter.

He had another thing coming. "It is entirely appropriate. If I am to come into contact with another potion it is hardly likely to be a pleasant one. If we know how I will react we can be prepared to deal with it."

"Out of the question." He stood up from his desk and walked toward his own quarters, "We have no way of knowing exactly how you will react."

"That's the point." Really, the man was insufferable, "For that matter we should test spells. After all, you said that the more powerful a spell was the more it will affect me. We need to know just how powerful a spell has to be to do some serious damage."

Severus clenched his fists together as his shoulders tightened, "Damage is not something that will be taking place."

"Severus, you're being completely unreasonable. You should pick a spell that they're most likely to use on me, so we can find out if anything will happen. There's one that Pippa mentioned they use on people. It sounded like abracadabra or something."

He glared at nothing in particular, "Avada Kedavra is the very last curse I would use Laurel. There is no partial reaction to that spell. I hate to be the voice of reason, but if you were to partially die Laurel, you would still be dead."

Laurel grimaced. She hadn't exactly remembered what the spell did. "Alright, so maybe that's not the best one to use, but you have to see my point Severus."

"No, I do not." He was awfully stubborn, "Nothing more will happen to you Laurel; I will not allow anything to happen."

"I know you won't," She said quietly, "but accidents happen Severus, or was there a way you could have stopped me from tripping over my own feet?" She was referring to the incident with the warming potion, and the tightening of Severus' jaw told her he was perfectly aware of that.

"No, but precautions could have been made. I could have warned you to be more careful."

He was still taking all the blame upon himself, and Laurel could see there would be no arguing with him. If she wanted to test more potions today she would have to take some initiative.

"Fine, I'll stop bothering you about this whole potions thing today." She said, walking over to the shelf Severus kept his potions on. She wasn't lying exactly. She wouldn't bother him for his permission at least.

"That is all too kind of you," He said scathingly, "Now, as I mentioned earlier you are more than welcome to do as you wish for the remainder of the evening."

She smiled, "Severus, perhaps I wish to spend the remainder of my evening with you."

He seemed to be honestly surprised at her words. "Surely Pippa would not mind your company."

She shrugged, running a finger over the various vials of potions, "I've spend a lot of time with Pippa lately. Besides, all she really wants to do nowadays is go out to one place or another. Frankly I'm not interested in another night out surrounded by sweaty strangers."

"In that case," He said, quite hastily, "You are more than welcome to remain here as long as you desire."

She smiled. Pippa had really only asked her to go to a club once or twice in the past few weeks, but she knew that if she mentioned Pippa, Severus would be more than happy to allow her to remain with him.

Picking up one of the bottles she held it lightly in her hands, "What does this one do?" She asked, holding it up for observation. It was filled with a liquid that was both yellow and green.

"It is a poison." Severus said, "I assume you are able to deduce what it is intended for."

"Do you have an antidote for it?" She swirled the cup around gently, fascinated by the way the yellow and green would swirl around each other, never actually mixing together.

He began to look at her suspiciously. "I have an antidote on hand for any potion I carry. It is the only responsible action to take. It's surprisingly dissimilar in both texture and color from the actual poison itself. Would you like a look at it?"

"No," She said, popping the top off of the vial, "But I wouldn't mind if you gave me some." She held the bottle out toward Severus slightly, ignoring the panicked expression on his face, and downed the entire bottle in one swallow.

Laurel tasted honey, strawberry, and pine. She barely heard Severus cry out for her before she tumbled to the ground for the second time that day.

This time, when she regained consciousness she was cradled in the arms of a furious Severus Snape. Her head pounding, she smiled up at him weakly, "So that worked fine right?"

He glared at her, and dropped her onto the ground unceremoniously to stand up, "If by fine you mean had I gotten the antidote to you moments later you would have died then yes, it worked fine."

Laurel winced, but managed to remain optimistic, "So it affected me normally. We know that strong potions don't affect me any more or less than weaker potions might. Now, we are more prepared."

"More prepared? Merlin Laurel, do you not have any regard for your own life?" He sat down at his desk and rested his head in his hands tiredly.

"Isn't it a little too late to argue about this Severus? We tested one potion and it ended up fine. Now if we tested some spells or something..."

"Did you never learn the meaning of the word 'no' Laurel? Potions are one thing, but I refuse to cast any spells on you that may be construed as harmful."

She wavered, "Maybe not harmful ones then, but we could make simple spells stronger or something, test the level of my resistance."

"No." He offered no further explanation.

She sighed, "You're Thirty-Six years old Severus, surely you know that it is useful to test things out in a practical way."

"Thirty-Seven." He said offhandedly, ignoring everything else Laurel said.

"What?" She gaped, "You were Thirty-Six when I got here. I know you were so don't deny it. When was your birthday?"

He squirmed, uncomfortable with the change of pace, "A little more than two weeks ago."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't see it as something which required your attention."

She frowned, "It's your birthday Severus, I should have gotten you something, or should have at the very least done something to celebrate it with you."

"It was simply another day of the year." He was being frightfully stubborn again, scribbling away at the papers on his desk.

"It's the anniversary of the day you were brought into this world; it's a day that should be celebrated."

He scoffed and looked up from his paper, "Can't this be something you merely overlook?"

She pouted, "I didn't even get out a present."

"Is that all? You're worrying because you didn't get me a present for my birthday?"

She nodded, "I like giving presents to people. It's wonderful to see their faces light up when you give them just the right thing. Besides," She grinned, "My birthday's coming up soon and now you aren't obliged to get me a present. That's hardly fair."

He shook his head, chuckling quietly, "If it helps I promise to give you a present on your own birthday. Is that all?"

"I guess so." She began to leave the room, pulling the large door open. Before she could fully exit the room she turned around, and said, "Happy Belated Birthday Severus." before leaving him to his own thoughts.

**End Chapter Twenty Four**

A/N:

Hope you enjoyed it! :) Taking a quick break in my weekend filled of homework to give this to you!

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! Know that reviews of all sorts are welcome, and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.

*Whoopsydaisy


	25. A Precious Gift

Disclaimer: Yeah... Harry Potter is still definitely still not mine. I do own the Sims 3 though, and I made a Snape. :) He, erm... plays guitar in the park for a living. ;)

**Chapter Twenty-Five: A Precious Gift**

On the morning of February Fifteenth, Laurel woke up in a miserable mood.

It wasn't that the day before had been particularly aggravating or anything like that. Valentine's Day had been just what she had expected considering the fact that she was a single female.

It had been extremely boring, and exceptionally disheartening.

As soon as Laurel left her room she had discovered the magical phenomenon that she did not find miraculous or entertaining. Floating all around the hallways, just above everyone's heads, were little red hearts.

Those were just the beginning of the decorations.

The normal place settings had been replaced by new ones, tastefully designed in swirls of pink and red. Many of the students had even coordinated hairstyles, every one of them sporting hair the exact same shade of crimson. Laurel had to admit that the effect was actually rather adorable.

Everyone, including the paintings, seemed to have someone to cuddle up to. There were couples in the hallways, classrooms, and even the bathrooms.

Laurel found the last location the most disturbing.

The entire effect was demoralizing, but no more so then it would be to the hoards of other single females around the world. She took some sort of sadistic comfort in that fact.

No, Laurel's frame of mind upon waking was not due to the fact that 'single awareness day', as Pippa so charmingly called it, had passed just the day before, but instead because of an event that happened years before.

Laurel's mother had died on this day.

She went through her normal morning routine, lackluster. One thing she was proud of though, was the fact that she no longer cried. Had this been even just a few years ago she would have had tears trailing down her face before she even woke.

Now, she just felt bland. She could even smile, if she tried real hard. It was a lame excuse for a smile, she had to admit, but it fooled most people. She rarely had people questioning her about what happened any more.

The morning of the fifteenth was a Saturday, and Laurel was more than happy for that fact. It meant that she didn't have to go to classes, didn't have to interact with people she wanted to avoid, namely, Severus Snape.

She knew that if he so much as caught a glimpse of her face he would be able to tell something was wrong. Then, he would ask her about it, and she held no illusion that she would be able to get away from him without divulging everything that had happened.

The ensuing mental breakdown was not something she particularly wanted to experience.

He knew her mom had died, she even told him the date, but she doubted he remembered that, he was a bit preoccupied with hating her at the moment she told him. Still, sharing something with someone to comfort them is one thing. Telling someone about a traumatic event in your life because they asked about it, that's a little bit harder to do.

Had this been a normal Saturday morning Laurel would have made her way to Severus' classroom after eating breakfast, and spent the majority of the morning wasting away over various volumes of potions books.

Seeing as Severus Snape was the one person she did not want to see, however, she had little trouble deciding that was not something on her schedule for this morning.

Instead, she made her way out of the castle while others were preoccupied with breakfast. Walking slowly, she made her way over to the lake, and sat down at the first tree she found that looked mildly comfortable.

While the ground was no longer covered in snow there was enough to ensure that the soil would be quite moist. Laurel had only been sitting down for a few moments when she felt her derrière and legs becoming cold, and she was sure she would soon feel an uncomfortable wetness on her jean covered skin.

She didn't particularly care.

Leaning back against the tree she folded her hands in her lap and breathed in deep, taking the time to remember her mother.

She was so lost in her reminiscing that she didn't hear the footsteps coming from behind her. She didn't even notice that there was someone else besides her until they decided to announce their presence.

"I assumed you would appreciate an apple, however, I brought a banana as well in case the apple does not appeal to you at the moment."

Opening one eye slowly Laurel squinted up at the man standing before her. Quietly, she muttered, "Severus, what are you doing here?"

He tossed the banana and apple on to her lap maladroitly. "I had thought the apple would have made my purpose more than obvious."

She closed her eye again, and looked away, not wanting him to look at her face for too long. She decidedly ignored the fruits that he had tossed in her lap. "Don't you have work to do or something?"

He was silent for a moment. "Could you stand up please Laurel, I feel entirely ridiculous talking to you when you barely reach my knees."

She scrunched up her face and stood up, the apple and banana falling off of her lap, and to the ground. She wiped her hands on her jeans in an attempt to warm up her wet, cold legs. "Better now?" She said exasperation obvious in her voice.

She was surprised when he seemed hesitant for some reason. "I suppose it would only be appropriate to admit that I did not come here merely to bring you sustenance since you most obviously missed breakfast this morning."

He was talking a lot, he was nervous about something. Unfortunately, Laurel was in no mood to baby him until he felt comfortable telling her whatever it was he meant to say. "I really just want to relax, Severus, does this have to happen now?"

He nodded tightly, "It dawned on me that your birthday is approaching, as you so tactfully mentioned a short while ago," Laurel crossed her arms and frowned at his sarcasm. "I was unsure what to gift you with at first, but I believe I came to a reasonable conclusion."

Hunching her shoulders over slightly Laurel looked to the side. "My birthday isn't for a few days still, Severus." She sighed in impatience.

He fidgeted in his place uncomfortably. Laurel was sure she had never seen Severus Snape do anything that could even begin to closely resemble fidgeting. "I felt it wouldn't be appropriate for me to present my gift to you at a later date."

She tilted her head to the side slightly, thoroughly curious. What was so important that Severus couldn't wait a few days to give it to her? Putting a smile on her face she tried to allow Severus to distract her. "I don't get it, did you get me tickets to some sort of magical play or something that's happening tonight?"

"The whole point of a gift is for it to be secret before it is presented Laurel."

"Well I think we can break the rules a little. If you give me the gift today you're already breaking one rule by giving it to me before my actual birthday. What's the problem with breaking another rule?"

"Humor me."

Her mind raced with the possibilities of what it could be. Either Severus was the most impatient person in the world, or there was a legitimate reason he wanted to give her the present today. Somehow, she thought the latter was true.

"Alright let's have it then."

From one of his pockets Severus pulled a ratty, busted up stuffed frog. Laurel's first thought was how on earth he fit the dirty green toy in a pocket.

Her second was not as kind, or amusing. "Gee, Severus," She said, "How did you know that a tattered mud splattered imitation of a frog was just the thing I wanted?"

"It's a portkey." He explained, as though that made everything clear.

Laurel searched her mind for what exactly a portkey does. "That's one of those instant traveling thingies right? I think I used one to return to my old apartment when I first got here."

He nodded, "I felt this would be the most efficient mode of transportation for you. It will depart in an hour. It is essential you are in contact with it at exactly ten tonight, as that is when it will return."

"Great." She took it in her hands and held it up, studying it curiously. "Where exactly does it go?"

"Rosemary Cemetery."

Laurel dropped the frog in pure shock as she stared at him. "What?" She whispered a chill going through her body.

"You mentioned once that you had a tendency to visit your mother's grave on this day. I presumed you would appreciate the opportunity to do so. It was frighteningly simple for me to discover where it was."

She stared at him in utter disbelief, the frog lying forgotten at her feet. Apparently she stared for too long, as Severus began the uncomfortable shifting once again. "Perhaps I was mistaken in my assumption. I trust you will eventually forgive me for intruding in your day."

Her eyes widened as she realized he thought her silence meant that at the very least she did not appreciate the gift. It sounded as though he almost felt he offended her.

"No." She exclaimed in disbelief. Laurel couldn't have told anyone what compelled her to do it, but she found herself clinging to Severus' frame only moments later, her arms wrapped around him holding onto him tightly. His own arms hung limply at his side, not even moving in an attempt to hold her back.

"No," She said in a more subdued tone, "I'm sorry I was staring it's just... I don't think I've ever gotten such a thoughtful gift."

Laurel could feel her throat beginning to tighten, and she drew her eyes upward in an attempt to ward of the tears she knew would soon follow. "I thought I would be okay not visiting her this year. It's been harder than I thought it would be, and to know that I can go see her I..." She let a wet sob escape her lips as she sniffed loudly. She could feel herself shaking, and burrowed into Severus' chest as the tears began to fall from her eyes.

He didn't offer any words of comfort, but that was alright with Laurel. She knew that words wouldn't help at all. His arms, however, moved from his sides to rest lightly on her back. The small contact offered her more comfort than he could have known.

Pulling back slightly, Laurel attempted to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Thank you," She said, not trusting herself to look in his eyes, "Thank you so much."

Severus moved his arms, releasing Laurel from the warm circle she had been encased in. She was disappointed when he did. "I'm pleased you find my gift acceptable." Laurel nearly laughed at how professional he was acting even as she stood before him, tears streaming down her face.

She had never been gladder that he was rather socially inept. It made her feel almost normal for a change.

A sudden thought struck Laurel and she looked up to his face. She knew her face was blotchy from the tears, eyes red from her crying, but as she looked up at him she didn't even think about that.

"Come with me." She whispered. He didn't react for a moment and Laurel almost though she had said the words too quiet for him to hear.

"Excuse me?" He said in a matter of moments, his eyes narrowing in confusion.

She forced herself to say it again, terrified she would look like a fool, "I… I don't want to go alone."

"If you're worried about the portkey not working properly I assure you that will not be an issue."

"No," She nearly whispered, eyes trained on the ground near her fidgeting feet, "I know it'll work fine." Squaring her shoulders she lifted her head, "I want you to come with me Severus."

He looked startled, and Laurel tugged her bottom lip into her mouth, gnawing on it mercilessly. It took far too long for him to say anything, but when he did, it was worth the wait.

"If that is what you wish, I would be honored."

She smiled brilliantly, "Wonderful. I'll go get ready then."

He nodded, "I shall arrive at your quarters a few moments before we are scheduled to leave."

Laurel walked back to her room, her heart filled with a peculiar mix of joy, and sadness. Today was a day she was used to mourning, a day consumed with grief. She couldn't help but feel bad for the elation that was leaking its way into her.

When Severus handed her the plush frog, she only felt confusion. That was momentarily replaced by an overwhelming sense of gratitude. He could have gotten her a simple gift, something impersonal, without any thought. He could have even gotten her something nice, something she would have enjoyed, like an informative book about the Wizarding world.

Instead, he had gone further.

A gift such as the one Laurel received is not one thought up at the last moment. He knew it was something she would like, something she would treasure, and he had taken the time to make it a reality.

His gift said what he couldn't, that some part of him knew they were good friends. Whether they would ever be something more had yet to be determined.

Laurel hoped there was a chance for something more.

Not a moment too soon she exited her quarters to find Severus waiting patiently for her. Without a word, she grabbed hold of the frog, and in moments she felt that familiar tug at her navel.

The heat was the first thing she noticed.

In Europe it was cold, many things still frozen with the chill winter had brought. Where Laurel grew up, there was no snow. For the area, it was a relatively cold day, but the sun was shining, and Laurel happily removed her jacket.

Tilting her head back she closed her eyes and let the sun warm her face.

She stood like that for a while, hand clasped tightly at her back, eyes resting closed placidly. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and looked at the man at her side. He was looking at her, a small smile on his face.

She was thankful he didn't say anything as they began their journey to her mother's gravestone. It wasn't a very long trip, Laurel had long ago memorized the fastest path, but the silence gave her more time to think, to organize her thoughts before they stood together before the final resting place of her mother.

When they found it, Laurel bent her knees, resting on the ground on the balls of her feet. Severus remained standing at her side.

She didn't know how long she just sat there, staring. Tears fell from her eyes slowly, trailing down her cheeks. Still, Severus stood there silently, kindly allowing her time to reflect.

With time, she broke the silence, "She was a good mom," she said, tilting her head to look up at Severus, squinting as her eyes caught hold of the sun, "Though you would have been hard pressed to get me to admit that most of the time."

She smiled sadly, rubbing at her cheeks in an attempt to dry them, "She worked her hardest to give me everything I needed. She probably could have found a boyfriend, or even something more, but she focused all of her efforts on me. The funny thing is that I never appreciated any of it until it was taken away."

For the first time since they arrived in California Severus spoke up, "How was it that she passed?" She was silent for a moment, and he hurried to fill the void, "Forgive me, that was an inappropriate question."

"No, it's alright." Reaching one hand out slowly she trailed it lightly over the dull grey of the headstone, her skin scraping against the rough material. "One of her tires popped while she was driving. She was going too fast to keep control of the car, and ended up colliding with a tree."

She hadn't seen the car; it had been taken from the scene before she could make her way there. She did, however, see pictures. The image of it wrapped tightly around the tree trunk was something she would never forget. It almost wasn't recognizable as a car anymore; the impact had damaged it so much.

Still, Laurel knew what it was. It was the vehicle that had driven her to soccer practice; that sat in her driveway every night. It was the car that she would wash with her mother during those hot summer days, if only to feel the cool water gliding over her burning skin.

It was the car her mother died in.

When Laurel saw the pictures the enormity of what had happened finally hit her. She sat for hours, just staring at the pictures, tears streaming down her face.

"I think the thing that made it the worst for me at the time was that I didn't have anyone to blame. No one hit her in a drunken stupor; she wasn't driving at an insane speed trying to get to my recital or anything alone those lines. She was driving to work, the same route she had taken five days a week for the past fifteen years."

She took a deep, shaky breath. "No one did anything wrong and I had no one to yell at. I had no one that I could hold responsible temporarily while I dealt with everything. I just had to accept the fact that it was supposed to happen, and nothing could have changed it."

Standing abruptly, she turned toward Severus, and almost laughed out loud at his awkward stance. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest as he shifted on feet far to close together. His face was turned away as he determinately ignored her gaze.

Instead, she turned, speaking to him even as she began to walk away, "Come on, I don't know about you but I didn't eat much for breakfast. We're going to get something to eat."

It shouldn't have been surprising how quickly he caught up with her, but for some reason it was. "You do not wish to spend more time here?"

She ignored the obvious relief in his voice. Personally, Laurel was surprised he had stayed as long as he did without complaining. Severus had never been the emotional type, and standing at her side while she sat by her mother's grave couldn't have been comfortable for him. She decided that he had suffered enough. She got to visit her mother's grave, and that was more than she had asked for. Now, they would spend the rest of the day doing whatever came to mind.

A bright smile lit her face, pushing him to the side gently she teased, "If you're worried about the cost I'm sure I have enough muggle money to pay Severus. Don't worry about it."

Laurel couldn't suppress her laugh at the scowl that appeared on his face.

**End Chapter Twenty-Five**

A/N:

Hope it's all good!

The week seems to go by so fast now! I can't believe it's Saturday already!

I do have a question for anyone who bothers to read this. Writing the chapters for this story have become a little more difficult lately, and I think it's partly due to the fact that I pretty much only write this. I was looking to start expanding on an idea I have for another story, I'll still finish this one though, and wanted to see what people would be interested in reading.

One I was thinking of was a Snape/Narcissa fic, set pretty much right after the night that the Potters were attacked on Haloween. It won't be happy, just a warning, and will focus mostly on abuse and how it can affect someone (Snape will _not _be abusing Narcissa though, I could never have my protagonist do that).

Second, I could do another Snape/OC, though I only have a _very _rough outline for that story.

The only other idea I have rumbling around is based on the series True Blood, if anyone watches that TV show (if you don't you should, it's sweetness on a screen). It's a Sookie/Eric, if you have any idea what that means.

If you're interested in me possibly posting one of these send me a message or leave a review. If you think I should suck it up and finish this one instead of trying to do two at once tell me that too.

Again, I _will _finish this no matter what, mostly because I hate it when people leave unfinished stories on the site.

Well, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Reviews are always appreciated! Now this epic authors note finally comes to an end. :)

*Whoopsydaisy


	26. A Sweet Surprise

_**Disclaimer: Well, in case there's any confusion, my last name is not Rowling. :)**_

A/N: I know I don't usually put an authors note at the beginning of the chapter but I just had to because I felt super awful. I just realized that for the past three chapters I didn't acknowledge my superb beta evenstar101. Sorry sweetie!

She is amazing and wonderful and always gets everything back to me quickly and in wonderful condition!! Lets give her some love!

Now, on to the chapter!

**Chapter Twenty-Six: A Sweet Surprise**

"Go home, Severus."

Her words startled him and he turned to look at her. Before he could ask what she meant she offered an explanation.

"You're uncomfortable here. I'm hardly finished with my day, and I'm sure you have things to do back at Hogwarts."

The day was nearly half over and, though you would be hard pressed to get him to admit it, Severus had begun to feel rather out of place. They were in a muggle society, obviously surrounded by muggles, and it wasn't a situation Severus was accustomed to.

"That's hardly necessary, Laurel, I offered to accompany you and that is what I shall do." While returning to the castle was something he would like to do, he was reluctant to leave Laurel alone, no matter how familiar with the surroundings she was.

"That's funny, because I distinctly remember being the one to ask if you could come."

He bristled slightly, "That is entirely beside the point. I made a commitment to come with you and I see no reason to leave you on your own."

She rolled her eyes, "I've dragged you around from my mother's grave, to a restaurant where you refused to eat any of their food, and now to a park where if I didn't know any better I would think you fell asleep."

"Laurel," he began, but was cut off by Laurel raising her hand at him.

"No, no arguing. This is my birthday present and I'm asking you to return to the castle and do whatever it is you were planning to do today."

Severus frowned, "Truthfully I had no plans for the day."

She smiled brightly, "No matter, I'm sure you can find something to do." Holding up her portkey she asked, "So this thing will bring me back sometime tonight, right?"

He nodded, frown still firmly in place, "At the stroke of ten tonight it will return you to the castle grounds."

"Great, then I should have no problem getting back." Pausing for a moment, she toyed with the stuffed animal in her hands, "You have your own way to get back, right?"

"I can apparate just outside the grounds. From there it is easy to find my way into the castle."

She stared at him, eyes wide, "You can do that? You can just snap your fingers and you'll be right back to the castle?"

"Snapping your fingers is not a requirement, and there are spells in place to prevent anyone from apparating inside the castle."

She shoved him lightly with one hand, "You know what I meant, Severus. Don't get all technical with me."

He sighed, "It is possible for any wizard to go from point A to point B using a complex spell."

"That's so wicked," Laurel grinned. Shoving one hand out to her side, she stopped Severus in his path. Running forward a bit, she yelled back at him, "Alright, so without taking one step I want you to come to my side."

"Why is it you require proof? Do you not believe I can do it?"

She shook her head firmly, "No, I can't think of a reason you would lie to me, I just want to see it for myself. Is that so much of a problem?"

He stared at her, taking time to watch the way her hair would whip in the wind. Her arms crossed tightly across her chest she stood with her right knee bent, resting her weight on her other foot. Taking slow steps forward, he ignored her exclamation of disapproval as he began to explain himself.

"It's not a problem so much as it is utterly illegal." He almost laughed at the way she scrunched her brow at him, confused by his words, "Were the muggles to witness a man disappearing and reappearing out of nowhere, it might cause a fuss. I doubt anyone here would appreciate having to deal with a situation such as that."

Her eyes widened as her mouth dropped open. She stood there, gaping for a while, before she was able to speak, "God, I didn't even think of that."

"I suppose it is a blessing that one of us is capable of intelligent thought then."

Laurel didn't bother to respond to that as they once more began walking forward.

Looking at him out of the corner of her eye Laurel quietly asked, "Could you show me sometime though?"

"As soon as we are able to find a secure location you will see me apparate back to Hogwarts, though I have to warn you, if you are anticipating a show you will be disappointed. Sadly, it isn't interesting in the least."

She snorted, "Trust me, seeing anyone disappear without explanation would be more than interesting to a poor deprived muggle such as me. What "secure location" were you planning on going to? Do you guys have secret disappearing places you can go to or something?"

He looked at her incredulously, "Of course not, what would the point of that be?"

"Oh, sure, unicorns and ghosts are perfectly normal, but a place you would go to do your magic mumbo jumbo is completely unreasonable." Severus didn't miss the sarcasm lining her voice.

"It's all a matter of logic, why create an entirely separate establishment when something such as an alleyway will do fine. It is unlikely any muggle will study a dead end lane long enough to realize that anything unusual has happened."

Laurel considered this, even as they began to walk into an alleyway for Severus' cause. "Still, someone could see you, and then they could out you to the entire world. Is it really worth risking that just because you all are too lazy to make a building?"

"I'll make a deal with you Laurel, the moment one muggle is able to reveal the existence of magic to the entire world, I will hand over every one of my earthly belongings to you."

A wicked gleam came into her eyes as they stopped, having reached the end of the alley. "I suppose that deal is void if I'm the muggle that does the revealing."

"Not necessarily Laurel, there is a reason I do not believe a muggle could reveal our presence. The ministry would simply not allow it. You would be amazed the lengths they would go to in order to keep our existence a secret."

Laurel shrugged, effectively ending the argument. There was a moment of silence before Laurel looked up at Severus. "Before you leave though, I just want to enforce the point that I'm so grateful for all of this. It means so much to me."

"This was a present Laurel, it was meant to please you. There is no need for this constant rain of thanks."

"Jesus, would it be so difficult for you to just say 'you're welcome'? I appreciate what you did and I want to make sure you know that."

"You're welcome." He squeezed out through clenched teeth. It was obvious the words were forced.

She laughed at him, her shoulders shaking, and laughter only increasing as a frown took place on his face.

"I believe you said I was welcome to leave, and I believe that would be a far better option than remaining here for you to laugh at." He hadn't even taken one step back before a small hand reached out to stop him in his path.

"Wait, I'm sorry," While her shoulders were still shaking with laughter, it was obvious she was trying to suppress it. "I just... nevermind."

"I suppose I will see you another time then." He waited for her to remove her hand, but her hand didn't move.

She stared at him for a moment, biting her bottom lip gently as though unsure about something. With a tentative smile, Laurel took a step closer to Severus. Raising herself up on her toes, Severus felt her lips lightly brush against his own. His own eyes wide open he saw hers flutter shut.

"Thank you." She whispered against his lips, shyly leaning in once more to feel the electrifying contact of his warm lips against hers. His own hands moved to rest lightly, tentatively against her hips.

Pulling back slightly, her hands remained where they had come to rest on his shoulders. One bottom lip was pulled between her teeth as she stared up at him with wide, almost uncertain eyes, a light blush playing across her cheeks.

Severus was struck with the sudden desire to pull her forward and take her abused bottom lip between his own in a deeper kiss. Before he had the chance to do so, however, Laurel took a few small steps back, still staring at his face. With a small smile, she turned on her heels and rushed out of the alley, leaving Severus alone.

There were few things anymore that could stun Severus, and Laurel's kiss seemed to do just that. He stared after her for a moment, before closing his eyes tightly, and apparating back to Hogwarts.

Severus didn't know what to think. He had dealt with the fact that he was attracted to Laurel some time ago, and to some extent had made his peace with it. He knew it would be unwise to allow her into his life; pain for both would be the only thing to follow. He decided not to pursue a relationship with Laurel that was anything beyond a casual friendship.

This decision, however, was made much easier by the fact that he knew there was no possible way Laurel would ever see him in a way that was not platonic.

There was nothing platonic about the kiss they had just shared.

It wasn't a kiss fueled by passion or desire, and yet it sent flames racing through Severus' entire body. To top it all off, the little minx had the gall to run from him right afterword. Though, Severus wasn't quite sure if that was a bad thing. If she had stayed much longer, he didn't know if he would have been able to keep himself from deepening the kiss, turning it into something more.

There were parts of Severus begging him to return to her, and finish what she had started, parts he was decidedly ignoring.

In a haze, Severus began to return to his chambers, his mind moving a mile a minute in a desperate attempt to figure things out, to find a way he could return them to normal. He didn't make it very far before a kind voice halted him in his tracks.

"Ah, Severus, just the man I was hoping to see. Do you have a minute?" Severus turned to see Dumbledore walking toward him.

Truthfully, Severus wanted nothing more to fall on his bed, belly full of firewhiskey. He hardly thought this would be an appropriate thing to tell Dumbledore of course. "I have more than that if you require them."

"I require nothing, however you assistance would be greatly appreciated I assure you."

"If it is a potion you know I will brew it for you, Albus."

"No, no," Dumbledore said calmly, "I was wondering if you might be willing to assist Minerva in a manner concerning the students. The head girl and boy, along with the prefects, are attempting to create an event for the school."

Severus knew that by event, Dumbledore really meant, mundane celebration dinner with no other intent than to give the students a reason to delay their homework.

"Normally Filius would supervise the students alongside Minerva, however he is currently working on a special project for me. Seeing as the head boy this year is from your house I felt it fitting to request you fill the position."

Severus already had an excuse ready. Every so often Dumbledore would ask something like this of him, and he would always turn him down. Working with the students as they attempted to plan one of their social gatherings was infuriating and something Severus could hardly tolerate.

It wasn't as though their "celebrations" were anything special. The only differences from a regular meal in the Great Hall was the celebratory decorations, always in neutral colors to avoid conflict, they hung around the hall, and the fact that they tell the house elves what they will be making for dinner. Setting the whole thing up shouldn't take anyone more than an hour, but somehow the students managed to take weeks to plan just one event.

For some reason, however, Severus found himself actually considering Dumbledore's offer. Supervising the students would mean he had less time to focus on more troubling matters, matters which included Laurel.

"I believe that is a more than appropriate request. Feel free to tell Minerva I am willing to assist her."

"Ah," Dumbledore clasped his hands together, "Wonderful, she will be surprised to hear that." Surprised was a very appropriate word to use.

"If you will tell me when the first meeting is I will be on my way to my chambers then."

"Actually returning to your chambers will not be necessary. I was unable to locate you earlier today to inform you that the first meeting is tonight. It started about fifteen minutes ago actually. If you will make your way to Minerva's classroom I'm sure she will be more than happy to receive your assistance."

Heaving a heavy sigh, Severus said a short goodbye to Dumbledore and made his way quickly over to the meeting. Opening the door, he glared at any student that dared stare at him as he entered the room. He had always detested entering a room where everyone is already seated; the way people would stare was disconcerting.

Taking a seat, he rested his chin on his hands as he forced his eyes to remain open, ignoring anything that would come out of a student's mouth. He hadn't been in there for more than five minutes before he already began doubting his decision. Was it really worth it to endure such torture only to avoid dealing with Laurel for a short while?

Unquestionably.

Severus was nothing, if not an expert at avoiding things.

For a moment, he decided to listen in on the conversation, if only to see if, by some miracle, the students had decided to do something that held some actual merit.

The head boy was talking. Severus was slightly consoled by the fact that the speaker was someone from his own house, perhaps with a Slytherin in charge things might be a little different.

"The prefects from each house should be responsible in choosing an appetizer, main course, and desert. Together we will decide upon meals for people with alternative diets, making adjustments for allergies, or people who choose to be vegetarian. Does anyone have a suggestion for decorations?"

Severus tuned himself out again as soon as students began to speak about decorations. He had no interest in listening to suggestions of absurd colors for decorations. Most of the "normal" colors representing a house, the students would always resort to technicalities, using colors such as marigold or fuchsia.

Really, he didn't understand why the planning for these activities had to be supervised; it wasn't as though the students were doing anything that could get them in trouble. The most dangerous part of these parties was the decoration. Occasionally, a spell to hang streamers would go wrong, and a student would be found dangling from the ceiling instead.

Severus was almost hoping that would happen this time, if only to toss something interesting in what was sure to be a dull activity.

He tried not to feel bad for that.

Before he knew it, the students were standing up from their seats, chattering noisily over the voices around them. He sat up straight in his seat as he realized the meeting had finally ended. Completely ignorant as to what the students had planned, Severus rose from his seat hastily, wanting to get back to his room.

Minerva caught him before he was out of the door. "I must say, Severus, I didn't for one second believe you would actually assume the position at my side. I'm quite interested in knowing why."

Severus closed his eyes tightly. For some reason he didn't feel like telling Minerva he accepted the job in order to avoid Laurel. That would open a new can of worms. "I hardly need a reason to accept work not required of me. Albus caught me at a moment when I was feeling particularly generous. I hope you will not make me regret my decision."

There, hopefully she would leave well enough alone, for fear of driving him off of the job. "Not at all Severus, I was merely curious. You've never seemed to show an interest in student activities, in fact, I seem to recall numerous conversations where you've explained to me how tedious and senseless they are."

Apparently the threat of leaving wasn't enough for Minerva. The women in Severus' life seemed incapable of giving him a break right now.

"Perhaps I've had a change of heart Minerva. The head boy his year is from my own house, as I'm sure you know, and I thought it might be interesting to see how he decides to run things this year."

"Are you impressed with what he seems to have accomplished so far?"

He gritted his teeth together harshly. He wasn't about to tell Minerva that he hadn't actually paid attention to anything that had occurred. "I look forward to the changes to be made."

Being annoyingly vague was one of Severus' favorite things to do.

"Well then, I suppose you'll be pleased to hear that we have another meeting tomorrow night. Eight o'clock in the same room. Hopefully the changes will meet up to your expectations."

Minerva knew very well he didn't want to be there, and blast it if the woman wouldn't make it a living hell until she found out why he came.

"I'm sure they will be." He managed a polite nod before rushing away to his room.

Soon after he got to his room, he sat on his bed, an open bottle of firewhiskey in his hands. Not even bothering to find a glass, Severus swung the bottle up and swallowed a burning mouthful of the beverage.

As soon as that was finished, he brought the glass up to his lips for another drink. Before the liquid reached his mouth, however, he froze in place. Slowly, he lowered the glass, and with a heavy sigh placed it on the ground next to his bed.

When Severus drank, he drank to forget. Sometimes, he would force himself to stay sober, believing he didn't deserve to forget. He owed it to Lily to remember her, to remember what he had done, if only as a reminder that he had to complete his penance.

This time, he ceased his indulgence, because he didn't want to forget.

Laurel's kiss wasn't a good thing. He couldn't let Laurel have any idea that a relationship between them was possible, so he could never reciprocate, in any way, or allow the event to repeat itself.

Plus, there was the memory of Lily. He loved her, had to remember her. He owed her that much at the very least. Part of him was disgusted with the fact that he could have even enjoyed the kiss.

Still, he found himself dwelling on the event. He couldn't get it out of his mind. The feeling of her soft lips on his, her gentle hands on his shoulders as she raised herself on her toes so she could reach him, it was engrained in his memory.

It was a onetime event, something that could never happen again, but Merlin help him, even though it couldn't happen again, he was determined to remember it.

**End Chapter Twenty-Six**

A/N:

So thanks to my beta again. :) evenstar 101 is the super bestest! Much thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. There were some very helpful suggestions left to me that really helped me over whatever hump I was at. I wrote two chapters yesterday. Now all I have to do is type them up on the computer.

Also, just in case anyone was wondering, I have started to flesh out a True Blood fiction. :) It probably won't be up for a while, I'll probably wait till I'm pretty much done with this one.

Well, hopefully you enjoyed the sweet little kiss. :) I just love having Snape torture himself. I am so cruel.

*Whoopsydaisy


	27. Learning

_Disclaimer: Not mine not mine not mine not mine!_

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Learning**

She was late.

'Crap, crap, crap, crap.' Laurel thought as she flat out ran toward the dungeon. She was supposed to meet Severus in the dungeons nearly twenty minutes ago, and she knew he wouldn't be happy she was late. When she finally reached the door, she took a few moments to catch her breath before tentatively pushing it open.

After Severus left her in America the day before Laurel had been in an elated mood. She'd been thinking about kissing him all day. Well, to be quite honest she'd been thinking about it for a lot longer than that, since before New Years to be exact. She had been talking to Severus one day when she realized that she wanted nothing more than to push him onto his desk and kiss him senseless.

Okay, so that wasn't the exact thought that went through her mind, but it was definitely along those lines.

It wasn't just the fact that she wanted to ravage him that shocked her though, but the realization that it was more than that. She's grown so accustomed to his snarky sense of humor, his snide comments, and his infallible sense of duty that she only wanted to see more of it.

She wanted to get to know him, every part of him. She even wanted to understand just what was haunting him. There was a demon lurking close beneath his surface that she constantly saw, but rarely heard from.

Simply put she was intrigued with the man, and wanted more.

She'd thought about actually doing something many of times. Perhaps the only thing in her way was the fact that she had no idea how Severus would respond. He'd never been particularly cruel to her, at least compared to how he treated other people, and that was slightly reassuring. It also helped that he had shown considerable regard for her safety, and then again, so had Dumbledore, and she didn't want to kiss Dumbledore.

Definitely not.

Still, the man was a mystery to her. As far as she knew he saw her as nothing more than the annoying girl he had to tolerate, and keep safe, for fear of his entire world being destroyed. It wasn't the most romantic option, but it was still there, and it's mere presence made Laurel hold off.

When she found out what his present was, however, it felt as though all rational thought left her. She spent so much of her life waiting for opportunities to come to her, waiting for others to make the first move.

Instead of waiting, she decided she was going to make the first move. When she kissed him, shivers drove through her entire body. She didn't want it to stop. She was even brazen enough to go in for seconds before finally pulling back.

The euphoria she felt when she realized that he hadn't pushed her away, hadn't forced her off of him shouting expletives, was overwhelming. Still, the simpering cowering girl in her had reared its ugly head, and she ran before he had appropriate time to react.

That was something she later regretted. Going to sleep that night was difficult. All she could do was lie in bed, staring at the ceiling as scenario after scenario of Severus' possible reactions ran through her mind.

She never did actually go to sleep. Instead, she left her room entirely. The Hogwarts grounds had always been beautiful to her, and while she was careful to keep her distance from the Forbidden Forest, walking them was one of her favorite things to do. The grounds still covered in snow she wandered for hours, taking time to observe the beauty of the nature around her.

Unfortunately, she didn't think about the fact that outside, she didn't have a way to tell the time. She was supposed to meet Severus at nine in the morning, and it was around that time that Laurel began to speak to Neville outside. They talked for a short time, before Laurel discovered that, even if she ran, she was already late to her meeting with Severus.

Indeed, as she pushed open the door she heard a dry voice speak up from inside. "I'm so glad you could join me, I was beginning to imagine you had forgotten about my poor soul."

He was teasing, that was easy enough to tell, but that didn't mean he wasn't mad. Somehow, she had to twist this so it wasn't her fault. Then, maybe the day could proceed normally. Closing the door softly behind her she kept her eyes glued on the ground. "Sorry, I, well, Pippa saw me in the hall and needed me to check out something. It took a little longer than she thought it would."

Severus sighed heavily as he pinched the bridge of his nose tightly. "No, Laurel, you overslept."

The confusion in her eyes was genuine. "No I didn't." She shook her head, moving to take a seat in front of his desk. "I told you, Pippa-"

He cut her off, "I know that you didn't sleep in, just as well as I know you have not seen Ms. Russell at all this morning. The difference between my lie and yours is that mine is more believable. And look me in the damn face if you're going to lie Laurel, it's difficult to believe someone who won't meet your eyes."

Laurel blinked rapidly, stunned by his little outburst. Annoyance clouded her features as she began to fully understand what he said. "That's not true! How do you know I didn't meet Pippa? She just needed me to..." Laurel hesitated as she tried to think of a viable reason Pippa would need her.

"That is exactly my point Laurel. Your story left too many open ends. Why did Pippa need you, where did you meet, was the problem resolved, you should never leave so many open ends when trying to deceive. Saying you overslept, while it wouldn't clear you of all the blame, would have been a much simpler explanation."

Laurel chewed on her bottom lip, clearly aggravated. "I don't get it? Why would you be more inclined to believe that? I never oversleep."

"You have to think about what I know of you Laurel. You never oversleep, true, however you've never stayed in America until ten at night either. I doubt it was easy for you to attain sleep upon your return, thus it would be very simple for me to reach the conclusion that, due to the circumstances; you accidentally overslept."

He stated the words so simply, as though it was an obvious conclusion to reach. Laurel's mind, however, was still reeling, trying to follow the connections being drawn.

"I guess that makes sense," she allowed, squeezing her eyes shut tightly, "So this means you don't believe I ran into Pippa?"

He smirked, "Indeed. Whatever it was that caused your unpunctuality is of no consequence." Well, that was certainly new. "I had planned on teaching you a new potion today however something unexpected has come up and I find myself instead buried in necessary research. Instead, I have to trust that you will be able to occupy yourself studying on your own."

Laurel nodded, and opened up one of her books. She was on almost the third page when she realized something. Nothing had changed. He was acting just as cynical and mordant as ever.

It was fantastic, but at the same time it was absolutely maddening.

She sunk down further in her chair, trying to focus on the words in her textbook that seemed determined to dance around the page. He wasn't giving any indication one way or another as to how he was feeling about the events of the previous night.

In fact, if she hadn't been there herself, she would have thought nothing ever happened.

The whole thing was ridiculous.

Still slouched in her chair Laurel crossed her arms and glared miserably at the asinine man sitting before her. Didn't he realize how difficult it had been for her to do that, how much she needed some sort of evidence that she hadn't made a terrible mistake?

A chill ran through her as she thought for a second that maybe his elusion of the topic was not for his own benefit, but for hers. Her heart fell to the pits of her stomach as she realized that maybe she had overstepped her bounds. He was being kind really. He could have called her out on it, teased her mercilessly for her little crush, but instead he was giving her a chance to redeem herself, a chance to pretend the whole thing never happened so things could go back to how they were before.

The truly sad thing was that Laurel didn't want things to be the same. She wanted to find out his reaction, whether or not it was one that would cause her to break.

She was going to speak up, had even opened her mouth to do so, when she was startled by a loud curse that fell from Severus' mouth.

Sitting at his desk he was almost curled over on himself, eyes clenched shut tightly in pain. Her brows furrowing in concern she shot up from her desk and was at his side in moment.

"Are you okay?" She asked the question, berating herself as soon as the words left her mouth. 'Of course he's not okay Laurel, just look at him.'

Laurel placed one hand lightly on his shoulder and quickly looked him over, searching for the cause of his discomfort. She found it with little trouble. One hand was tightly clenched over his left forearm. She reached her own hand out to pull his away, trying to see if she might be able to help.

As soon as her hand touched his Severus shot up from his desk. His back facing her he stood up straight, though Laurel could tell he was still clearly in pain. "I need you to do me a favor, Laurel. Find Albus and tell him that I have an urgent matter that needs attending. I expect to return before class begins tomorrow, however if it takes longer let him know that the fifth through seventh year classes will require someone else to lecture them. I trust you are more than capable of handling the rest."

Pride filled Laurel at his statement. It was delightful to finally see her dedication to learning the art of potions being recognized, but her feeling of pride was overwhelmed by her fear for Severus. Something was clearly wrong with him. She took a small step toward him when she saw his hand shoot out to grasp a quill off of his desk. Only moments later, he was gone.

'Stupid port-crap-things,' she thought to herself, glaring at the spot Severus vacated, trying to ignore the concern rolling over her in waves.

Quickly vacating the dungeons Laurel found her way to the gargoyle behind which she knew was Dumbledore's office.

Her eyes searched the stone creature for a handle of sorts, before she realized that it would only open for her if she gave it the right password. Searching her memory Laurel tried to remember what it had been, recalling it was some sort of candy.

"Laffy Taffy, Snickers, Skittles, Twix, Gobstoppers, chocolate covered raisins," She began listing off all of the candy she could remember, wishing that she had paid more attention when she had been at the candy store in Diagon Alley. "Caramel Apple Pop, oh, Chocolate Frogs!" She exclaimed, ecstatic that she was able to remember one that wasn't Muggle.

Her elation quickly disappeared when the gargoyle still refused to move. "Come on," she moaned, smacking it on the head with an open palm in frustration, "I'll give you cookies if you just open up for a bit. I just need to talk to Dumbledore."

"Bribery, Miss Slade?" A wise voice came from behind her, and Laurel turned to see a smiling Dumbledore. "I wasn't aware inanimate objects respond to those."

"Well they don't, but with all the spells you've placed on this poor gargoyle how am I supposed to know what it will do?"

He chuckled, "Since you are harassing said 'poor gargoyle' I am assuming you have something to tell me. We should move to my office before you do so," Dumbledore stepped forward confidently, the gargoyle moving aside to let him in.

Gaping, Laurel followed after him. "That's not fair! It let you in but you didn't say the password!"

"Didn't I?" His eyes twinkled, "How forgetful of me."

As soon as they were both within his office Laurel blurted out, "Severus is gone."

One silver brow rose elegantly, "Is he now? Where has he gone?"

"That's just the thing, I don't know. It looked like he was hurting, then he said he had an 'urgent matter', he grabbed a quill off of his desk and poof," Laurel threw her hands up, fingers splayed widely, "He was gone!"

"Were those his exact words?"

For a moment she thought Dumbledore was joking, though she wasn't sure why. When she looked at him, however, she realized that he was entirely serious. "I think so... no, I'm sure. He said that he has an 'urgent matter that needs attending'," she quoted, and proceeded to tell Dumbledore everything Severus told her. "Is something wrong? Is Severus alright?"

Walking over to his window Dumbledore looked calmly through the glass, his gaze wandering over the grounds before him. "Only time shall reveal that mystery. For now Laurel, it would be best for you to return to your quarters."

She scoffed, looking at him in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? Severus acts like his arm is on fire, disappears abruptly, and you just expect me to go about my day all willy-nilly with absolutely no explanation?"

Dumbledore frowned, "This does not seem a reasonable course of action for you?"

"Of course it's not reasonable!" She nearly shouted in disbelief. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Laurel seemed to realize just who she was talking to. A deep blush rising on her cheeks she covered her mouth with her hand in horror.

Luckily, Dumbledore was not angered by her outburst, instead he smiled, amused by her antics. "Perhaps my suggestion was premature. Today was a day of learning, and now you find yourself without a teacher. If you would make your way to your room I know just the person who could assist you in your quest for knowledge."

Laurel frowned, not particularly wanting to learn anything more. What she wanted was to find out where Severus went, and just what had happened to cause him so much pain. At the same time, it was obvious she wasn't going to get any answers from Dumbledore.

'Maybe whoever Dumbledore will send to me will be able to give me some answers.' She thought, as she hesitantly agreed to his terms. She left not too long after. Once in her room she did little but pace restlessly until she finally heard the door to her portrait open. As Dumbledore and Severus were the only ones to know her password she assumed it was whoever Dumbledore sent to her.

She assumed correctly. "Laurel," she saw Remus step into her room, his tired, worn face searching the room for her. "Dumbledore asked me to come. He said you needed help learning something."

"Nothing in particular," she said, stepping forward, "but it seems my regular tutor is temporarily unavailable."

Remus nodded, and Laurel felt annoyance fill her once more. It seemed that everyone except for her knew what was going on. "Well, I don't promise to know all but I can assume I know more than you do." Laurel thought it was meant to be a joke.

She didn't laugh.

Remus cleared his throat awkwardly as Laurel stared at him. "Is there anything in particular you wanted to learn about."

"Yes," Laurel moved to sit in one of the larger chairs, "Where did Severus go, and what the hell was the whole thing with his arm about?" Laurel had her reservations about openly confronting Dumbledore about the circumstances surrounding Severus' disappearance. There was an ethereal quality about the man that demanded respect, and unquestioning obedience. Remus, however, was much more human, and Laurel had few qualms about pushing him.

Remus frowned, taking a seat next to Laurel. "I don't think Dumbledore brought me here to tell you about this."

"You said that I could pick the topic and I did," Laurel stated, "besides, what's the harm in telling me. I know more about Severus than you might think."

An amused smile played on Remus' lips. "Do you now," Remus was a sweet fellow, but he was talking to her as one might a child, and it was very annoying. "Enlighten me, just what has he told you then."

"I know about Lily," she challenged, pleased when Remus' smile faltered. It wasn't the complete truth. She knew that Lily existed, and Lily was dead, but that was about it. Remus didn't need to be privy to that information however.

Remus' face hardened and Laurel got a glimpse of a darkness that she often saw within Severus. "Then you know there are things best left unknown. Severus Snape is a troubled man."

"Everyone is troubled Remus," Laurel whispered, "the rest of us just aren't fortunate enough for it to stay hidden."

"Trust me Laurel, the world is better off without Severus' demons being common knowledge." There was something in his tone that convinced her not to argue. "Now, pick a subject and I'll tell you something about it," Remus picked up a book that rested on the floor near his chair and began to thumb through it, glancing at the topics briefly.

Laurel twiddled her fingers in her lap, unsure of herself. "There is something I want to ask actually," Remus shot her a warning look and she held her hands up, "Not anything about Severus, I swear. It has to do with you really, but you have to promise you won't get mad."

"It's not fair to ask that of someone. How can I know what my reaction will be to something that has yet to occur?" Remus shut the book, looking Laurel straight in the eyes. "I can, however, promise to try."

"What's it like?" She blurted out. At Remus' confused look she realized she didn't clarify what she meant. "I mean, Severus told me that, and I think it was totally unfair of him to do so by the way, that you're a... werewolf."

The word was difficult for her to say. She still found it hard to believe that this mild mannered man could hold a vicious beast inside of him, and hoped for a moment that Severus had been telling a lie.

When Remus tensed, a grim look on his face, laurel gave up on any hope of trickery on Severus' part. "I've been wondering what it's like for you when you change. It can't be comfortable."

Realizing she wasn't about to run screaming, or attack him, Remus relaxed a little, "It's funny, but once people get over the shock that's almost always the first question they ask."

"Why is that funny?"

"Because it's probably the one question I can't answer," Remus shook his head and closed his eyes, as though recalling a memory. "It's always the same. One moment, I'm perfectly normal. Rather tired, worn out, but there's nothing really wrong with me. The moment the moon raises high a shot of pain rips through my body, before everything disappears. That's when the wolf takes over. Next thing I know, I'm lying on the floor naked and it's morning."

"You don't remember it at all? That must be terrible."

"No more terrible than turning into a monster in the first place," his eyes shot open as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, "Generally I consider the amnesia a blessing. The only time it upsets me is when I somehow manage to get out of my confines. Luckily, that is a rare occurrence."

A chill ran through Laurel as she thought about what he had to go through. Once a month he turned into a creature that he clearly despised, that he had no choice in becoming. It's a wonder he hadn't collapsed on himself, with everything he's probably gone through.

Pulling a random term from her mind Laurel said, "Why don't we start with boggarts, I remember Pippa saying something about those."

Remus grinned, "Now that, I know quite a bit about."

Laurel listened attentively as Remus explained to her about the magical creature. All the while Laurel couldn't quite get rid of the tickling feeling in the back of her mind that something was amiss with Severus Snape.

**End Chapter Twenty-Seven**

A/N:

First off I apologize profusely for the delayed update. I won't bother you with excuses, but unfortunately until next summer the updates will be sporadic. Hopefully I'll have time over winter break but I might end up taking a class or two then as well.

Secondly, thanks to all four people who reviewed the last chapter, and to my outstanding beta evenstar101. Yeah, that's about it.

~Whoopsydaisy


	28. Confrontations

_Disclaimer: Not mine I tell you! Would I lie to you??_

_**Un-charmable**_

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Confrontations**

It had never hurt so much, ever.

That scared the hell out of Severus.

Voldemort was calling him and he was not happy. Severus made his way quickly to the meeting place, only to find he had not been the only person summoned. Indeed, it seemed as though every Death Eater still alive was present. Hooded figure after hooded figure surrounded him, everyone whispering conspiracies to a neighbor.

'Something big is happening.' Severus thought. A chill went through him as he tried to shove his fear for Laurel out of his mind. He couldn't think about her here, not with the Dark Lord so close.

Severus didn't have to wait long to discover the purpose of the summons. Voldemort's voice quickly rose over the Death Eaters, the quiet murmurings quickly hushed as one and all searched for the source of the voice.

"My followers," the voice boomed, "I have called you here today for a very specific purpose."

The silence that fell over the room following his words was tense. One common thought was running through the minds of everyone in the room. Someone would not be leaving with their life.

"I am most troubled, you will find, over an issue that has yet to be resolved." Voldemort loved to speak it riddles. He let the crowd simmer, each heart beating rapidly. He gave them time to run everything through their minds, wondering if they were the one who would be called out tonight.

Severus crossed his arms as he listened intently. "Two years ago I had to depend on a rat to return me to my former glory."

Shoved in a small corner, Peter Pettigrew visibly flinched.

"I was lenient with many of you, allowing you to keep your lives, dismissing the fact that you betrayed my very name when you thought I wasn't looking." His voice rose as his words progressed, until the sound was deafening, "That was an oversight I shall never make again."

Severus's eyes narrowed as he began to wonder just where this was going.

Then again, he does seem to be quite adept at holding grudges.

"I trusted that you would appreciate my munificence, and yet still, after all of these years Potter manages to evade me. Tell me, how is it a school boy has been able to foil my every move? It would be an impossible task," Suddenly, those around Severus began to move, and he was forced back as a clearing formed near him, around none other than the Dark Lord himself. His eerie eyes scanned the room disdainfully, "That is, unless there was someone helping him."

Relief flooded through Severus. This was about Harry, and had nothing to do with Laurel. As he realized his, he felt rather silly for even thinking that in the first place.

'She's just a damn girl Severus. The Dark Lord has more to worry about than how to get his hands on her. You're being paranoid.' Unfortunately paranoia was never likely to leave Severus. Sometimes it was the only thing that kept him alive.

The relief was quickly replaced as his heart began to beat erratically in fear. Perhaps Laurel was safe, but he was not. For a moment, he contemplated apparating out of the room. That thought was quickly dismissed. He hadn't been convicted yet. There was still a chance everything was fine.

Severus would stay a Death Eater until the downfall of the Dark Lord, or his own death, whichever came first.

"I have made it painfully obvious in the past what happens to those who have betrayed me. Yet it seems that one person didn't quite learn the lesson." Hidden faces searched around, trying to find someone, anyone who was guilty. "Perhaps we should have a reminder."

Severus tensed as Voldemort neared his position. His palms sweated hotly as he tried to remain calm. Acting any other way would be suspicious.

"Bring me Lester Britton." Loud protests were heard as the crowd rustled, relieved Death Eaters forcing the accused forward allowing him to stop only when he was directly in front of Voldemort.

Along with many others Severus breathed a second sigh of relief. It seemed that this was another day he would be spared.

With a vicious snarl Voldemort ripped the mask off of the man and forced the hood backward, revealing the wrinkled face of an old, cowering man. The mask fell unceremoniously to the floor clattering loudly in the silent room.

Lester fell to the floor, eyes locked on the ground as he whimpered pathetically at the wizard's feet. "P-p-p-please My Lord, I've done nothing you accuse me of. I have been nothing but unfailingly loyal to you."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed at the man before him, "You believe that I am lying then?"

Lester's eyes widened as he quickly realized his mistake. "No, not at all Lord." He searched desperately for a way to redeem himself. "I was merely trying to say that you... that I... perhaps..." Unfortunately for Lester there was no redemption to be found.

"Quiet," The Dark Lord ordered, and instantly the pitiable whimpers and sniffles from Lester ceased entirely. "I tire of your words."

Looking around the room, Voldemort addressed his audience, "This man has committed an unpardonable crime. For years now, likely even before my resurgence, he has been giving information to the very people I despise."

If you listened close enough you could hear quiet sobs of denial coming from Lester. No one paid them any mind.

"Let this demonstration remind you of the lessons you should have learned long ago. Those who follow me shall be rewarded. Those who fight against me shall fall. Those who deceive me shall face eternal damnation."

Snape resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It all sounded dramatic but in showings such as this the same thing always happened. A rousing round of Crucio followed by the killing curse. That could hardly be considered eternal damnation.

Almost as though on cue screams pierced the air and Severus could see the body of Lester writhing on the floor. Many cringed away from the sight, afraid of what it held, while others inched toward it, looking upon the sight with sadistic glee.

Still, no one spoke. All eyes were fixed on the sight as the mangled sounds ripping from Lester's throat were the only things breaking the silence of the room.

Few stuck around for long. Only minutes passed before popping sounds began to sporadically sound as Death Eaters apparated from the building. Some stuck around, but even they knew it wasn't necessary. Voldemort had portrayed his message, and they were no longer needed. Once that was finished, it wasn't about the lesson anymore. Instead, it became about pain.

Severus waited a while before taking his own leave. He apparated outside the grounds and made his way back to his room. For a moment he debated visiting Albus. It was closing in on midnight, and the old man might actually be awake.

Deciding sleep would be the best course, for both him and the headmaster, Severus prepared himself for sleep, his mind running through everything that would have to be mentioned the next day.

It was a shame to lose a fellow spy, though before the meeting had been called Severus hadn't even been aware of his existence. It was a life lost, one that could have otherwise been of great use.

If anything it made Severus more determined to find the person leaking information to Voldemort's forces.

Severus was on the verge of sleep when a loud buzzing noise reverberated around his room. Groggily sitting up Severus looked around for the source of the obnoxious sound. His eyes widened and he shot out of bed as he realized what the sound meant.

It was the alarm he had set for the wards around Laurel's room.

Not even bothering to change out of his sleep robe Severus ran from his room, and quickly made his way to Laurel's. His rapid footsteps were the only sound to echo throughout the corridor as he strained his ears to hear any sound that might hint as to what was happening.

A shiver of terror ran through him when he arrived to find her portrait door hanging open.

Silently praying the wards were enough Severus darted inside, and was slightly surprised, if not annoyed, by the sight that met his eyes.

Hanging from the ceiling, thanks to a clever hex Severus set up, was that dreadful girl Pippa. Almost directly underneath her, Laurel, still wearing her pajamas, which Severus amusedly noted had neon colored rabbits, was standing on one of her chairs.

Perched on the tips of her toes Laurel strained one hand upward, trying to return Pippa the wand that had fallen from her pocket. "What the hell are you doing up there anyway Pippa?" She let out a loud yawn, covering it up with her free hand.

"You think I know?" Pippa exclaimed, her face sullen, "Just give me my wand and I should be able to get back down."

Severus scowled as he took in the scene. Pippa was trying to sneak into her room in the middle of the night and Laurel was giving her wand back to her? What kind of an idiot was that girl?

Crossing to where Laurel stood on the chair in just a few short strides Severus picked Laurel up off of the chair, ignoring her protest, and plucked the wand from her fingers.

"Severus? What are you doing here?" Laurel asked, trying unsuccessfully to get the wand back from Severus, "We need to give Pippa her wand, she got stuck to the ceiling somehow."

"I hadn't noticed," Severus remarked dryly. "I am here because someone," he looked pointedly up at Pippa, "triggered the ward I set on your room. That would be why Ms. Russell is currently positioned on your ceiling. Personally I am more than interested in knowing what exactly she is doing in your room at this hour."

Pippa frowned as she crossed her arms. "You're here too Snape, maybe we should be asking you that question."

Laurel sighed loudly and sat down on the chair she had previously been standing on. "Look, as fun as it would be to listen to the both of you argue I'm really tired. Can we save this all for tomorrow?"

"I'm afraid that would be less than wise. The ward I set on your room was set to trigger only if the person entering was uninvited, and had negative intentions toward your person." Laurel's eyes widened as she listened to Severus speak. "Seeing as I am not glued to the ceiling I would greatly appreciate an explanation."

Severus expected to see her cringe, to hear pleas of denial, of innocence. What he did not expect, was for Pippa to burst out laughing.

"Merlin, is that all this is about? I think you made your little ward a little intense than Severus, all I was planning to do was scare the daylights out of her. It's her bloody birthday today; I wanted to wake her up early."

Laurel grimaced, "Gee Pippa, what a great birthday present that would have been." Sarcasm laced her voice as she stood up and began walking toward her bed.

Severus was taken aback for a moment, as he realized that, as of midnight, it was Laurel's birthday. He had already given her a present, and had forgotten entirely that he had not given it to her on her actual birthday. 'At least I'll remember to wish her a good birthday.' He thought irreverently as he reluctantly recognized that Pippa actually had a point.

Despite this, Severus, was not as convinced by her explanation. "You have a present then?" Severus asked, his eyes never leaving Laurel as she moved around the room, "I certainly don't see one."

"Well, I was sort of expecting Laurel to kick me out about two seconds after I woke her up."

"You bet I would have," Laurel piped in, crawling into bed.

Pippa grinned, "I thought it would be better to give her a present later on in the day."

Severus opened his mouth to say something, but Laurel, who was pulling the covers over herself, spoke first. "Great, now that's all cleared up." She pointedly ignored the glare Severus sent her way. "Seriously, I get really mean if I don't get enough sleep. Just let Pippa down Severus, and you can both leave."

Severus' irritated glower wasn't noticed by Laurel as she had already closed her eyes. Doing as she asked, Severus released Pippa with a quick swish of his wand, annoyed by the smirk set firmly on her face as she returned to the ground.

"Geez Snape," Pippa teased, straightening her clothes out with both hands, "Did you think I was going to kidnap her or something?" she laughed, leaving a fuming Severus behind.

Instead of leaving, as he probably should have done, Severus made his way over to Laurel's bed. She groaned in annoyance as she heard his footsteps stop by her bed. "If I open my eyes and you're still here Severus I'm not going to be happy."

"We need to have a talk Laurel, and I don't particularly want to wait until morning."

With a pitiful whimper Laurel sat up and glared at Severus. "For your sake I really hope this is important Severus. I wasn't joking about what I said earlier. I'm not inclined toward benevolence when I'm sleep deprived."

Severus looked at Laurel, her hair sticking up at all angles, incensed glare pointed at him, and large rabbit pajamas covering her tired, slouched frame, he was stunned by just how adorable she was. It was entirely ridiculous.

"Russell wouldn't have tripped the ward if she was merely planning to scare you. I fear that something worse than a dreadful wake-up would have happened if my ward was not surrounding your room."

"Maybe it's like Pippa said. You could have calibrated it wrong or something."

"Hardly likely," Severus scoffed.

"Then maybe she was going to dump water all over me or something. It would have been just like Pippa to do something inane like that."

Severus frowned, and tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice, knowing that this would be difficult for Laurel to hear, let alone accept. "Laurel, I have... suspicions about Russell. I think it would be best if you weren't around her by yourself."

Laurel's brows wrinkled together tightly, "Just what are you trying to say Severus?" she asked carefully.

"You yourself said she has been acting strange as of late. I merely believe there may be a reason behind this."

Laurel looked at him incredulously, "So, what, you think that because she's been acting a little off she's a danger to me?"

He shuffled uncomfortably, "Not her specifically," he said. For some reason he felt the urge to clarify exactly what he meant, without ruining whatever it was that she and Pippa had. "However I believe she may be working for someone else. The conflict of interests would surely-"

Laurel held up one hand, and Severus stopped talking almost immediately, "Severus, I really don't want to hear this. It's absolutely absurd that Pippa would be anything buy loyal to us. She's the _only_ person who has been a true friend to me the entire time I've been here."

Severus felt a dull sting at her words. It hurt to know that Laurel saw someone as asinine as Pippa a better friend. Bitterness rose to the surface and his words came out harsh. "It is not ridiculous Laurel, and if you would open your eyes for a moment you might see that. Did you ever stop to wonder just why Pippa was upset Hagrid accompanied you to Hogsmeade?"

"I explained that already, she wanted to have a girl's night out. Pippa can be finicky like that sometimes." Her voice was quiet and her eyes shot to the ground, refusing to meet his. It was clear she didn't even truly believe her rationalization. It infuriated him that she would look past her better judgment just to keep that damnable Russell in her good graces.

"No," he exclaimed, resisting the urge to grab her shoulders and shake her. "No Laurel, stop being so damn naïve. Just because someone is nice to you doesn't mean they are your friend. Just because someone speaks to you that doesn't mean they are telling the truth. You're not a 'normal' person anymore Laurel and people are going to try and take advantage of the fact that you have no idea how to take care of yourself."

"I can take care of myself just fine," Laurel bit out, "but what you're saying doesn't make any sense. Pippa has been nice to me so I shouldn't trust her? Well who the hell is it okay to trust then?"

Severus took a short step back, his eyes widening as only one answer popped into his head, 'me'.

That wasn't an answer he was about to give Laurel. "She has been nothing but kind to you, doesn't that strike you as a bit suspicious Laurel? People have emotions, people get angry, and no one can be happy all of the time."

Laurel rubbed her face with both hands, sighing loudly. "Severus, just go before one of us says something we'll regret."

He stiffened, "Just promise me that you'll be careful around her. Instincts are something I've had to rely heavily on. I've learned to trust mine, and right now they are screaming that there is something wrong with that woman."

"I can't do that Severus. I can't just ostracize someone who's been perfectly civil to me. You may be fine pushing everyone away, but I'm not."

Hurt flashed onto Severus face for a moment, before he quickly shoved it away in favor of an emotionless mask.

Laurel groaned loudly as she buried her face in her hands. "I didn't mean that..." her apology was muffled by her hands and she quickly moved them away. "You know I didn't... This is exactly what I meant. We're both tired, and upset, and people say things they regret when they're like this. I truly didn't mean that."

Severus didn't speak.

Hanging her head, Laurel looked to the side, avoiding Severus' haunting gaze. "I'll try to be more careful or something, alright?" Severus nodded his head sharply before turning to make a quick exit.

"Severus?" He stopped, but didn't turn to face her. "I mean it when I say I don't want to lose Pippa as a friend, but please, don't be mad at me for that. I don't-," her words cut off sharply and he heard her draw in a shaky breath. Severus started as he realized she was softly crying. "I don't want to lose you either."

Severus could almost feel tension exiting his body as he whispered, "You won't." before leaving Laurel alone in her quarters.

Had it been anyone else, Severus would have told them mere facts. Had it been anyone else, Severus would have blatantly told them his opinion, not caring whether or not it hurt their feelings.

When he decided to confront Laurel, this had been his intention, but when standing in front of her, he had found himself unwilling to break the news roughly, not wanting to see hurt clouding her eyes.

Even while he was telling her, he became frustrated will all of the backtracking he had to do. What should have been a simple, brief explanation, turned into a full blown conversation, all because Severus wanted to explain everything to Laurel, to show her that he was doing this for her own good, and not because of his.

It was awfully annoying to actually care about someone else's feelings.

**End Chapter Twenty Eight**

So I have a request. One of my main issues is that I can't seem to get the whole "I'm just a plain evil bastard" personality that I would love to have Voldemort have down... Does anyone know of any good fics that feature him as a relatively large character, but still just a plain bad person? I would love to hear from anyone who has some suggestions.

Other than that, the fall semester has finally ended for me. :) I'm hoping I'll be able to crank out a few chapters before the next semester begins. Hopefully I'll be able to give you a few semi-regular updates.

Once more, thanks to everyone who reviewed! It was great to hear from some new people :) Thanks also goes to my lovely patient beta evenstar101!!

~Whoopsydaisy


	29. Cranky

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter or the like._

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Cranky**

Just when she thought that man couldn't get any worse, just when she thought he couldn't become any more of a pain, he proved her wrong.

She cared for Severus, probably more than she would like to admit, but that didn't mean he could go around accusing Pippa like he did.

Besides, it wasn't like he had any right to tell her who or who not to be friends with. He wasn't her damn father.

Thank God.

Even after he left her room she couldn't return to sleep. She laid flat on her back, arms crossed tightly over her chest, glaring at the ceiling.

Pippa was one of Laurel's few friends in Hogwarts, and she had grown close to her. She had been kind, caring, exciting, and more than willing to help Laurel. Severus, on the other hand, had been tough, bitter, and sometimes downright mean.

Alright, truth be told she hadn't exactly been sweet to Severus all of the time, but really the man was asking to be yelled at. As far as Laurel was concerned it was all even on that front.

Laurel had nothing but the upmost confidence that Pippa had been, is, and always would be a true and loyal friend.

Still, some part of Laurel's brain was fixating on everything that Severus had pointed out. She never really had given serious thought as to why Pippa would act so strange, or when the behavior started. Thinking about it, the timeline fit almost perfectly really, and Pippa had always been sort of...

'No' Laurel shook her head fiercely as though to dispel her negative thoughts. 'I will not let Severus' paranoid pessimism get to me. He's just becoming desperate to find someone to blame and the whole thing is finally catching up to him. After all, it's perfectly normal for a friend to visit another friend's room in the middle of the night...'

She forced the paranoid tingling that sentence brought up to the back of her mind.

Tossing all thoughts of the evening's events from her mind Laurel forced her eyes shut, determined to get some actual sleep.

It seemed like only moments later that an alarm buzzed, alerting Laurel it was time to wake for the day.

Groaning loudly, Laurel sat up, tossed her sheets off, and stumbled gloomily to the shower. The night had been long, and while Laurel was sure she had technically gotten some sleep, it really hadn't done all that much. She had a headache, her limbs felt as though they were full of lead, and the air stung her eyes whenever they were open.

It wasn't exactly the way she had pictured the morning of her birthday.

While taking her shower Laurel was struck with the unfairness of this all. Couldn't this all have happened to someone else? Or at the very least on some other day? It was her birthday for crying out loud, and now she not only was bound to be terribly annoying due to lack of sleep, but she was sure keeping Pippa and Severus from tearing each other's heads off would be especially challenging. They were bound to be particularly frustrating today.

Laurel slowly made her way to the dining commons, determined to prolong what was likely to be the least confrontational portion of her day. She had nearly made it when Pippa appeared at her side.

"Morning birthday girl," Pippa grinned. "Looking forward to the excitement and wonder bound to fill your special day?"

Laurel grunted in a fashion that reminded her eerily of Severus. "If by 'looking forward to' you mean wishing desperately that I could curl up in my warm bed and never get up again then yes, I suppose that's about right."

Bumping Laurel lightly with her shoulder Pippa said, "Come on sour sport, you have to be happy, it's a rule. Besides, you haven't even seen what I've gotten you yet."

Funnily enough Pippa's words really did make Laurel perk up a bit. She had always looked forward to opening presents. It wasn't so much so she could get something new, but rather so she could find out what exactly they had gotten her. You could tell so much about how a person sees you by what present they get you.

If someone gives you money, well, either they're too lazy, or busy to get you something, or they really just don't give a damn one way or another. Gift cards, or whatever the wizard equivalent was are a little better. At least they went to the trouble of finding a store you would like.

Then there are the people who get you an actual put-it-in-a-box-and-wrap-it-up-nicely present. If it's something you would never in a million years even consider buying, then they don't know you very well at all. If it is something you might be interested in, well, they've done pretty good.

Lastly, there were the people who get you a present so deliciously perfect that even you never thought of it, something that made you stare at it blankly before you could fully appreciate just what it was.

People like Severus.

"What is it?" Laurel asked with genuine curiosity.

"Hmmm..." Pippa tapped one finger on her lip pretending to think intensely. "I'm not sure if I should tell you just yet. You were born later in the day right? We really should wait till then."

If Laurel had learned one thing over the years it was that begging would only delay the whole process. People loved knowing they held power over you; that they knew something you wanted to know so badly. Instead, she shrugged dismissively. "Alright, I guess I'll just have to wait."

Pippa's cocky smile faltered, "Well, don't you want to know?"

Laurel carefully hid her grin. Pippa was falling for it. "Well sure, but I'll find out eventually. There's no rush really."

"Fine." Pippa pouted as she caved predictably, holding out two rectangular pieces of paper to Laurel, "I suppose there's no real harm in showing you now."

Laurel took the small papers, a bit confused. They looked like tickets to a concert... but that couldn't be right! After their disastrous trip to the club surely Pippa knew that Laurel didn't like that sort of thing. Thing are so different in the Wizarding World that they could likely be something entirely different. They could be one of those Portkey things.

Hell, for all Laurel knew they could be a new set of sweaters.

"Witching Wonders," Laurel read the highlighted words out loud monotonously, here eyebrows slowly crawling up her face.

Pippa nodded perkily, blissfully unaware of Laurel's lack of enthusiasm. "They're only one of the best bands the Wizarding world has right now. I was barely able to get the tickets. I'm not sure if you've been to a Muggle concert, but Wizarding ones are so much more amazing, I thought it might be fun."

'Fun' wasn't exactly the word Laurel would have used. "I'm sure, but I really don't think Severus would like me going." 'Especially since he thinks you're a secret agent trying to kidnap me for the dark lord and all,' she added in her head.

Even Laurel could tell it sounded like a cop-out, probably because that's exactly what it was. For once she was glad Severus was a dreary wet blanket, it gave her the perfect excuse to avoid this concert.

Pippa, however, just waved the excuse off with one hand. "Oh pish, who cares what that killjoy thinks. Besides, the tickets are for tomorrow night and I know he can't hold you here. It's his night to patrol tomorrow. Leave him to be cranky with his old arse." Despite the fact Pippa was insulting Severus, Laurel couldn't help but smile a bit.

"You do realize you really aren't that much younger than he is Pippa."

"Yes, but there's a distinct difference between acting like a pickled old fart, and being a young spirit. I may be old, but I certainly don't act it."

"Indeed," A deep voice broke into the conversation. Laurel winced and refused to turn around, knowing that she would only see a pissed off potions master, "And perhaps the world might be just a smidgen improved if you would truly act your age for even a moment instead of portraying an immature bother."

Laurel chewed on the inside of her cheek. Clearly he had heard more than just the end of the conversation. How jolly.

Pippa's chin rose in the air haughtily and continued to walk forward. "Just because I'm aged doesn't mean I have to act as though I might die. There's nothing wrong with having a little bit of fun every now and then."

Severus smirked, "I believe Laurel will attest to the fact that your attempt to have 'fun,' as you say, are far more prevalent than the moments you choose to act like an adult."

"Oh no," Laurel finally snapped, whipping around and poking Severus in the chest with one finger. "You two can bicker as much as you want but don't you dare try to bring me into it." Pippa grinned while Severus had the grace to look a little ashamed. "Now, I will think about you're offer Pippa but I can't promise I'll agree. If you will both excuse me I think I'd rather skip breakfast for the day."

Laurel stormed off in the direction she has just come from leaving the pair behind her. Reaching the dungeons she yanked roughly on the handle.

It didn't budge.

Narrowing her eyes Laurel pulled again, putting all of her weight behind it. With a frustrated shout she let go, stumbling back a few steps.

"Seriously, can't one thing go right for me today?" She kicked the door harshly with one foot, "Stupid door and you're stupid lock that won't freaking open. You're a stupid, stupid thing."

"I doubt insulting it will help you enter any faster." A dry voice came from behind her, "Though in the case that it might, it would likely be far more helpful to vary your verbal abuse intermittently."

Laurel had felt childish as she vented her anger by yelling at the door, but the fact that Severus had witnessed it made it all the more worse. She blushed hotly as she leaned against the door. "Don't tell me it can actually hear me."

"No," he smirked, "but it won't do you any good anyway. I on the other hand am quite efficient at opening doors."

Laurel mumbled quiet thanks as he opened the door with a swish of his wand. As she entered the room she was all too aware Severus followed behind her. Sitting on the edge of the first desk she passed she turned to him with a tired expression. "I know you want to ask me something Severus, so you might as well just get it over with."

He raised one eyebrow, his expression the picture of innocence.

She scowled at him, "Oh don't even try to pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. You wouldn't have followed me otherwise. Just do it now so I don't have to get pissed at you later as well." Laurel knew she was being childish and bitter, but for the moment she decided not to care.

"If you insist on knowing, I was interested in knowing just what it was Pippa propositioned you with." Pursing her lips, Laurel didn't answer. Instead, she rose from her seat and made her way down to the front of the room. Severus watched her curiously, and quickly crossed the room to stand beside her. "You do realize all you are doing is making me more curious."

Laurel closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to tell Severus about the concert. She didn't want to give him even more of a reason to distrust Pippa. "It's nothing Severus; can I just get to studying please?"

She made to step away from him, and his hand shot out to grasp her wrist. "Why are you so reluctant to tell me?" he inquired quietly.

"Why are you so intent on knowing?" she countered, and tried to tug her wrist from his grasp.

Unfortunately, the sudden movement drew Severus' gaze to her hand, the one clutching the very topic of their conversation. "What are you holding?"

Laurel was tugging much harder now, but infuriatingly enough she couldn't get her hand free. "Nothing," she mumbled, swearing at herself for not putting the tickets away, somewhere far away from Severus.

Unfortunately for Laurel, Severus was taller, stronger, and had far longer arms than she. It didn't take much for him to grapple the tickets from her, and when he did, a dark cloud of anger descended over his face.

"No," he declared, "Abso-bloody-fucking-lutely not."

"Actually I hadn't decided yet." She defiantly narrowed her eyes at him. True, she didn't particularly want to go, but Pippa had seemed so excited she didn't want to ruin that.

"I just decided for you. There's no way I'm going to let you go to this infantile excuse for a social gathering. Do you purposely ignore everything I tell you to infuriate me, or is it just instinctual?"

Laurel scoffed at him, annoyed at how upset he was getting. "It's just a concert Severus, at most it will make my ears ring for a few hours after. What, do you think a barrage of Death Eaters will be waiting for me there?"

Either Severus missed the sarcasm, or he decided to ignore it. "That wasn't my exact thought but yes, it was something along those lines."

"Okay." Laurel held up one hand and paused for a moment to take a breath. "I walked right into that one. Really though, if all you're going to do is spout your ridiculous theories about Pippa being a master spy I'm leaving." When he didn't speak again she sighed lightly, deciding it might be better to help him see reason. Perhaps if he realized Pippa was the _only _problem he might be less against the whole thing. "If someone else had asked me to go would you still be this against it?"

"I believe I've made it more than clear that the company is particularly bothersome to me."

"Right," Laurel agreed, happy he was beginning to see reason, "So if, say, Remus were the one to give me the tickets all would have been well."

When Severus stiffened she belatedly recalled he didn't exactly get along with Remus. "I mean Dumbledore," she quickly amended, "It would be perfectly fine if I went with him."

"You're point is irrelevant. Albus would never find himself at such and asinine gathering."

"Well Minerva then." She bit out, rolling her eyes, "You get my point Severus. You don't trust Pippa and that is the only reason you're against me attending the concert. Doesn't that seem a little silly to you."

Severus' lip curled disdainfully, "Do you honestly want to attend that dreadful thing?"

Inwardly, Laurel cheered. At least he wasn't arguing with her. "As I told Pippa, I'm not sure yet. True, I don't always enjoy things like this, but Pippa is a good friend, and I do have fun with her at least."

He snorted, "Yes, and you had so much fun last time you left the grounds with her that you returned only a few hours after your departure."

Ah, yes, Halloween. She really hadn't stayed that long, had she? "Well I hardly spent any time with Pippa." That was all true enough. Pippa spent most of her time dancing while Laurel sat in the back. "This time I'll ask her if she'll stick with me or something."

"If you didn't spend your time with her, then what exactly were you doing?" He asked, sure she was lying in an attempt to clear Pippa of any guilt.

Laurel tried unsuccessfully to fight down the blush rising to her face. She had been trying to avoid mentioning that he was a large part of the reason why she had returned. In her hasty avoidance, she had inadvertently brought up the whole Dominic adventure, something she had been trying to ignore since it had happened. She doubted Severus would enjoy hearing too much about him.

"Nothing in particular," She answered evasively, taking Severus' own advice on lying.

"A very clever evasion of my question Laurel, however I am still curious as to what it is you are avoiding answering."

Laurel scowled at him heavily. "This is about tomorrow night Severus, not some guy I talked to on Halloween."

Laurel bit her lip tightly as she realized her slip up. She really needed to remember to think before she let words come out of her mouth. Avoiding Severus' gaze she quickly continued. "It's not like this will be the first time I've gone out with Pippa Severus. There are millions of people in this world trying to live their lives and I'm simply one of them."

His brows furrowed furiously, Severus made his way to his private quarters.

Assuming the conversation was over, and slightly disappointed he had run away once more, Laurel took a seat, and opened her book.

She was reading quite diligently about the different uses of Lionfish parts when a delicate silver chain fell onto her open pages.

Laurel picked the jewelry up between two fingers and examined it with one eyebrow raised. "While I appreciate the intricate method of delivery, you already gave me a gift, I really don't need anything else." she raised her hand trying to hand it back to him, but he merely shook his head.

"It isn't a gift; I placed a charm on it. If something were to happen to you this will make it simple for me to locate you."

Laurel frowned and merely looked at the bracelet. "Does this mean you're actually letting me go?"

He closed his eyes tightly, "I suppose I've realized it is pointless to argue. You are, at the very least, prone to getting lost," she grinned sheepishly, unable to argue with his claim, "I need to know that you are safe."

Laurel toyed with the bracelet, her eyes locked firmly on her desk. "Why does it matter so much?" she muttered.

He frowned, clearly choosing his words carefully. "I care about the wellbeing of all my friends. I do not come by them often; therefore I find it sensible to prolong their existence."

While she was elated he acknowledged them as a friend, that was not quite the answer she was looking for. "You're friends with Minerva though, right?" he nodded, "Well, I didn't see her wearing a pretty bracelet when she left the castle grounds last week."

"That's different." He frowned.

"Why?"

"Minerva is not only an accomplished witch, but she doesn't have an unusual talent Voldemort would kill to have."

Laurel almost rolled her eyes. Personally, she thought he was being a little dramatic. Her situation wasn't that bad. Still... "That's all then? Friends? That's all we are?" She pushed none too subtly trying to get the answers she so desperately wanted out of the stubborn man.

"That's all we can ever be," he answered forlornly, almost as though to himself.

Hope struck in Laurel as she heard something in his voice that made it sound like he was almost trying to convince himself that was true. Maybe he did want something after all, there was just something holding him back.

"Bull shit," she challenged brazenly, the lack of sleep and frustration causing her to be far more bold than usual.

"Pardon?" Severus' head shot up in surprise.

"Bull shit," she repeated, rising from her seat and crossing to stand in front of him with a few long strides. "Do you want to kiss me again?" She blurted out bluntly, her blush returning with a furious vigor. She tried to ignore the part of her that was mortified by what she was doing. If nothing else, Pippa had taught her she had to work for the things she wanted. Right now, she wanted Severus.

"What?" Severus blurted out, his voice cracking slightly at the shocking question.

Laurel lowered her eyes slightly, almost wishing she could take back her previous words. Something, though, forced her to continue. "I mean, it wasn't bad or anything like that, right?"

For his part, Severus took an almost involuntary step back, "Sometimes wanting something isn't enough Laurel. Just because a child wants a cookie doesn't mean you give them one," he chastised hardly. "There are circumstances you are not aware of."

She shook her head and laughed tiredly. "What, are you one of those Death Eaters along with Pippa?" Laurel joked sarcastically, completely missing the mortified expression that found its way onto Severus' face. "Have you been ordered to deliver me to your all powerful Lord?"

"Don't joke about something like that." He growled, uncomfortable how she had gotten so close to what he really was.

"Then you answer my question," She looked up at him, eyes pleading. "I didn't ask you whether it was possible or impossible Severus, I asked what you wanted. It's a simple black and white, yes or no question. Do you want to kiss me?"

He didn't answer her, couldn't bring himself to form a response. Of course he wanted that. He had wanted that, and more for quite some time now, but it would be selfish. If he cared for her, if anyone knew...

After a moment of silence Laurel decided to provoke him. "Maybe I should ask Remus instead?" When his face became resigned Laurel knew she had made a mistake.

"Then do," Severus bit out, trying to convince himself that would be better for her. Even a werewolf would be better for her than a murdering traitor.

"Severus," she started softly, apologetically, "I don't want Remus." She took another step toward him, closing the small gap. "I want you."

When he didn't respond she took a step back and turned her head to the side, suddenly unsure she had read him right. Maybe he really wanted nothing to do with her. "I guess I understand if you don't return that though. I'm sure I'm not what you're used to, and what, with the Dark Lord after me and all I'm definitely not the most secure choice. It's fine if you..."

Laurel trailed of when one calloused hand lightly, but firmly gripped her chin, turning her face toward his. She got one brief glimpse of furious dark eyes before his lips attacked hers with fierce fervor.

His large hands cupped her face on either side as Laurel's mind finally worked its way past utter shock and she began to eagerly return his kiss, absentmindedly sliding her hands up his chest, and over his shoulders to lock behind his neck.

Opening her mouth to deepen the kiss, Laurel was pleased when Severus mimicked her action, and her tongue explored his mouth daringly. She shivered as his long fingers slowly trailed down her sides to rest low on her hips.

Lifting herself onto her toes Laurel pulled herself closer to Severus, molding her body to his, reveling in the comforting feeling when his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

When Severus finally pulled back Laurel found herself gasping for air, breathing heavily as she stared into his dark eyes. "Never," he said fiercely, "think that I don't want this for any reason that is your fault."

She knew the words were meant to be comforting, but they only reignited her anger. She pushed hard against his chest, managing to break his hold on her and put some space in between them.

"Then why the hell don't you want it?" she nearly screamed, "I get it Severus, someone hurt you, or you got hurt, or whatever, but really, get the hell over it. Everyone gets hurt. I've been hurt, Pippa's been hurt, hell, I'm willing to bet that even Dumbledore was hurt by someone once-upon-a-time."

He shook his head stubbornly, "It's different," he ground out between clenched teeth.

"Why, because you have some unique ability to focus on everything negative and nothing positive? Looks like I'm not the only one with a special talent here."

"No!" he exploded, stepping back to further the difference between them. "It's because my past is my present. Everything I've done in the past, every mistake I've made is still trailing me like a shadow. I kill the people that I care for Laurel. Every single one has died." He shook his head softly, wide eyes staring at her, "I can't do that to you too."

Laurel didn't try to stop him when he left the room. She just stood there staring in the direction he left, more than shocked by the revelation the mysterious potions master had made.

**End Chapter Twenty-Nine**

A/N:

It's been a while. I've pretty much been doing a complete overhaul of the next few chapters. I decided I didn't like the direction I had it going in, and it took me far longer than expected to get it where I wanted it. Pretty happy with where it's going, and hopefully the updates won't take as long since I know where it's going. The only promise I can give you though is that it will be finished. The when is uncertain.

Feel free to tell me what you think, even if it's just a "like" or "dislike". I love to hear from the people who read thing. Please and thank you!

~Whoopsydaisy


	30. Discoveries

Un-charmable

**Chapter Thirty: Discoveries**

Perhaps the most bothersome thing about spending the night out with Pippa, as far as Laurel was concerned, was the preparation, rather than the actual night out itself. Pippa had this... annoying tendency to spend hours preparing for an event, and usually she managed to drag Laurel along with her.

She assumed, properly so, that just because this night out was meant to celebrate her birthday, that it wouldn't be any different. That was a large portion of the reason Laurel had planned out exactly how she would avoid Pippa until just before they planned to leave for whenever they would go out for the night.

It wasn't a very intricate plan, involving little more than seeking out Severus and convincing him to hide her from Pippa for the night. Considering his dislike for their outing, she thought that was something he would not mind doing.

The difficult part, she assumed, would come when she tried to get him to allow her to actually leave with Pippa.

With this concert, however, a little wrench was thrown into her plans, mainly that she hadn't spoken to Severus since their encounter the night before. He wasn't exactly avoiding her, which actually surprised her quite a bit, but the atmosphere when they were close was... uncomfortable to say the least.

This, she decided, would make it rather difficult for her to spend nearly an entire day in his company.

Still, she could see few other options. She had jokingly thought about hiding out in the hospital wing, but if Pippa even put up so much as a mild fuss Poppy would kick Laurel out faster than rabbits could procreate.

Minerva and Dumbledore had been other options, however she assumed both had better things to do with their day than baby sit her.

Of course, Severus probably did as well, but given the choice she would much rather pull him away from his tasks than the others. At least she might be able to help him with his.

So, when Laurel woke on the day of the concert, she prepped herself for confronting Severus, and prayed to any god that might be listening that he was in a good mood.

When she sat next to him at breakfast and he didn't immediately run away she figured that was a good sign.

Taking a small bite out of her cantaloupe Laurel looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"G'morning," she greeted him.

"For some more than others I suppose." He drawled out his response without so much as rolling his eyes in her direction.

Laurel wrinkled her nose. "Geez Severus, could you be any more morose?"

"If I tried my hardest, I suppose I could."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "How's your morning going then? Excluding your acute case of determined pessimism that is."

"Very little has happened as of yet. I woke, came here, am currently eating my breakfast, and I even managed to complete some menial tasks in between. I suppose thus far it has been a relative success."

Laurel turned her head fully to stare blandly at the man next to her. He was acting so... normal.

Well, normal for him at least.

She had not been expecting the casual cynicism he was displaying, and her next worlds were falling out of her mouth in disbelief before she even realized it was happening.

"Good God, you're really going to try pretending it never even happened, aren't you?"

"Laurel," he hissed quietly.

She ignored him. "I mean, I guess I should have expected it. After all, you ignore anything that might be a little troubling to deal with."

"This is hardly the place for such a conversation." His eyes scanned the room, searching for anyone who could be listening.

"Then let's go somewhere else." Laurel said, as though it were obvious. "Quite honestly I'm completely fed up with you acting like a child."

"For Merlin's sake woman, would you keep you damn voice down."

She stared at him, clenching her jaw tightly. "Fine, you know what, I'm done with breakfast." Pushing her plate forward she rose to leave. "If you have anything you want to discuss with me you might think about following."

Severus watched her storm out of the Grand Hall knowing that he shouldn't follow her, that it would be best for her to hate him.

He had discovered quite young that when people hated him, they left him alone.

Even as these thoughts crossed his mind he felt himself rising from his seat as he followed her. For some inexplicable reason, no matter how much easier it would make things, no matter how simpler his life might become, he didn't want her to hate him.

"Laurel, wait," he called out to her once he had caught up.

Laurel didn't even bother to stop, calling back over her shoulder, "I've been _waiting_ Severus, and a lot of good it's done me."

"You can't just..." For once, he struggled to find the right words, "You don't understand."

"_I_ don't understand?" She turned on her heels, eyes blazing, "No Severus, _you _don't understand. I know I've only really acknowledged that I felt anything for you, and I get that you have some serious commitment issues, I really do."

He stopped walking when he was a few feet in front of her, and just listened. "I could deal with taking things slow. I could have unfathomable amounts of patience if you would let me help you deal with whatever is bothering you, but this... this quiet indifference is killing me. I put myself out there Severus, and for you to completely ignore it-" she shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest defensively, her voice softening dramatically and her eyes falling as she seemed to realize just how bold she was being. "I don't think I can deal with that very long.

"I care about you Severus, I have as a friend for a while, but I think it's something more now. If you want something, _anything_ to happen between us you _need_ to speak up."

"I was under the impression the volume I use to speak is quite acceptable." He spoke quietly, trying to avoid a real answer.

She laughed far too bitterly for Severus to enjoy. "That isn't exactly what I meant."

"You don't underst-"

"You said that already." She snapped, cutting him off.

"I have, but it's true, and through no fault of your own. There are things you don't know about me, things that would change your opinion."

"Then tell me about them now. I'm bound to find out anyway."

"It's not that simple."

"The most difficult things are the ones you need to do the most." Laurel hugged herself tightly with her crossed arms. "My mom would always tell me that."

Her words lingered for a moment in the silence as Severus searched for the proper thing to say. "I'm not a good person Laurel, and you deserve good."

"I think I can decide what I deserve for myself, thank you." Sighing tiredly, she softened her voice. "Look, I know you've been hurt in the past, but you can't let that determine your future."

Severus drew himself up higher, eyes furious. "You know nothing about my past." He bit out acrimoniously.

"Well it's sure as hell not for lack of trying."

"Shut up." He shouted at her, something snapping inside of him as he lost all patience with the girl standing in front of him. "For Merlin's sake girl, have you no common sense? I know that for some unfathomable reason you seem to think I can do no wrong, but guess what, you're wrong. I have done worse than you could possibly imagine."

He winced inside as her eyes widened at his harsh tone, and she took a small involuntary step back. As much as it pained him, he continued to convince himself that this was best, that no matter how much it pained him she should learn he was no good. "It would serve you well to grow the hell up, and stop being so painfully naïve."

"Screw you Severus." She said, curling her lip back slightly. "You're not the only one who's done something they regret, and just because I'm not as cynical as you doesn't make me naïve. Come talk to me when you're finished with your pity party."

Severus watched her go, remembering the pain he could see clearly in her eyes, trying to convince himself that he was doing the right thing.

**BREAK**

Sitting in his chair, staring at the map on his desk, the only thing Severus could think of to do was take a long swig from his nearly empty bottle of firewhiskey.

Unfortunately that only made the small ink dot that represented Laurel sway from side to side. Severus only calmed down when he realized the rest of the map was following the same pattern.

Harshly placing the bottle on the desk Severus rested his face in his hands, fear nearly tearing him apart. Laurel was out, not alone, but with the one person he suspected was responsible for telling key information to Voldemort.

"I'm rather shocked you let her go." The cheerful voice of his headmaster came from the doorway to his room, "At least, without yourself by her side."

Too tired to allow the shock to register Severus let out a loud groan. "It was a moment of folly." Leaning back in his chair he eyed Dumbledore, "Besides, the tickets were all sold out. I couldn't find any."

Dumbledore chuckled, "You should put more trust in that girl."

Severus snorted, "Pippa has done nothing to deserve an ounce of my trust."

"I was not talking of her." Dumbledore stated carefully, "For how close you two seem to be you have very little faith in her abilities."

Severus straightened up at Dumbledore's soft words, curious as to how much the man actually knew. He may play the fool sometimes, but little went on in the Castle without Dumbledore knowing of it.

"The girl can't even find her way around Diagon Alley without getting lost." Severus purposefully ignored Dumbledore's suspicious terminology. "She needs a keeper, and no one trustworthy seems to be capable of the task."

"She is hardly a child."

Severus furrowed his eyebrows tightly, disliking where this conversation was going. "Are you suggesting I leave her to her own designs then?" It made sense. She wasn't his child after all, there was no real reason for him to coddle her as he had been doing. Some part of Severus, however, didn't want to leave her fate to the world.

Some part of Severus wanted to do everything in his power to assure that she would be safe forever.

"Not at all. The girl needs a mentor, someone to assist her in learning how to survive in this world, and certainly someone to help her make the wise choices. They are, however, her choices in the end."

Severus closed his eyes tightly, a dark chuckle quietly escaping his lips, "And given the opportunity I have little doubt she will find the worst possible path."

When he opened his eyes Dumbledore was already halfway to the door. "Perhaps Severus, you should place more faith in those you keep close."

Severus snorted loudly, even as the heavy dungeon door closed loudly behind Dumbledore. "Perhaps you ought to tighten a few of your own screws old man." He commented to no one without a hint of true malice.

"Well at least he has screws at all." A terse voice came from the doorway he had believed to be empty, "I for one think you've completely lost a few of yours."

Whipping his chair around, Severus' eyes caught sight of Laurel standing in the doorway. Her arms wrapped loosely around her stomach, she sniffled slightly, looking nothing if not uncomfortable.

"You're supposed to be out with Pippa." Severus pointed out needlessly, beyond shocked to see Laurel standing in his doorway.

Laurel rolled her eyes dramatically, "Very astute Severus. Perhaps you ought to be seriously worried about these missing screws of yours."

His mind finally passing the shock of Laurel appearing, Severus processed Laurel's words and immediately scowled, turning back to his desk pretending to be busy. "I assure you, I have no issue maintaining mental health, unlike the old man that runs this school. Is there a reason you are visiting, or did you simply wish for an opportunity to insult me?"

He heard Laurel sigh softly, a pleasant sound, which was almost immediately interrupted by a rather crude sounding cough.

"I think I've caught a cold." She said, and for the first time since she entered Severus noticed just how hoarse and weak her voice sounded. "I went to the hospital wing, but Poppy sent me here, saying you'd probably have a more potent potion."

'Of course she did.' Severus grumbled to himself, sending imaginary curses in the direction of the aforementioned medi-witch. Parents would not stand for their children to be receiving anything but the best of health care, especially when they pay as much as they do for Hogwarts, and Poppy was stocked with nothing but the most effective potions guaranteed to cure any curable illness. Clearly, the woman was meddling.

Severus hated it when people meddled.

"I may have a potion you can use." Severus answered vaguely, knowing that if Laurel had any knowledge Poppy had lied to her on purpose, it would only cause more trouble for him.

"That'd be great." Laurel said, still standing in front of the door awkwardly, unsure of whether or not she should approach Severus, who had yet to turn back to face her. "You have no idea how amazed I was when I discovered you guys could cure a cold in less than a day. You could make a fortune marketing the stuff to muggles."

"Indeed," Severus moved from his desk slowly as he made to get the potion she desired, "And perhaps begin a new war when muggles learn that magic is, in fact real, while we do that."

"It is always best to multi-task." Laurel nodded sagely, before sagging at the glare he sent to her as he made his way back with a small vial filled with a bright blue liquid, "Alright, so it wasn't the perfect idea, but still, do you know how useful it would be for any muggle to instantaneously cure the common cold?"

"Perhaps just as useful as it is to witches and wizards." Severus commented dully, extending the arm with the potion. "You will feel a powerful urge to sleep a short while after taking the potion, and may sleep for several hours. After that, however, you symptoms should be entirely gone."

Laurel nodded, taking the potion from his hands. "It's still awesome." She concluded, raising the glass up shortly before tossing her head back violently, downing the entire vial in one go.

Her mouth curling in distaste Laurel said, "Can't say much for the taste, but at least Pippa taught me how to properly take a shot, otherwise that would have taken me a while to get all of that down."

Severus huffed, "Yes, what a talent." Ignoring the way Laurel stuck her tongue out at him childishly Severus continued. "While you're here, you may as well assist me in cleaning some cauldrons I have been meaning to get to."

"Shouldn't I have to go sleep or something?" Laurel groaned, looking at said cauldrons with distaste.

Yes, was the proper answer, but for some reason Severus didn't want her to leave. "You will not need to sleep right away, and I should keep you here for observation, to ensure the potion works as it should." There, that sounded reasonable.

Apparently Laurel agreed. "I guess," she mumbled sullenly, "Don't you have students in detention you can make do this instead though?" She complained, even as she made her way toward the cauldrons.

Conjuring up two buckets and sponges, Severus followed her closely. "The children seem to have been on irritatingly good behavior this week."

Laurel chuckled softly as she bent down and rolled up her sleeves. "Only you would be upset because students weren't behaving poorly."

"If they had been misbehaving, neither of us would be in this situation in the first place."

"True," Laurel agreed, wetting her sponge and ringing it out. With a cautious hand, Laurel began to clean the outside of the cauldron, Severus quickly following suit with his own.

It was some time before the silence was broken. Laurel, having finished the outside of her cauldron, quickly made way onto the inside. An unintelligible squeal left her mouth upon touching the inside of the cauldron for the first time. "Jesus, what did you do to this cauldron? It's foul!"

Severus raised one eyebrow. "No one names Jesus did anything as far as I know, however if you would have bothered to assist in any cleanup you would already know this is merely what happens to a cauldron after one creates a potion in it."

"Ugh," She grunted as she reached her arm in further to get to the bottom of the cauldron, "It smells like someone let a pig rot in here." She pulled away and coughed lightly. "I think it's aggravating my cold, I should stop."

"The potion will still take care of it," He assured her, not taking any pity.

Seeing she wasn't going to get out of it, Laurel went back to work. "Couldn't you just clean these with magic?" She asked, and when he was nothing but quiet for a beat she reeled back her arm and threw the wet sponge in his face. "You can can't you, you jerk. You just wanted to make me do this disgusting work."

With a simple flick of his wand the sponge was back in Laurel's bucket, and Severus' face was entirely dry, though the man himself was clearly displeased. "In case you hadn't noticed I am doing the exact same work as you are, and I hardly feel the urge to throw a disgusting cleaning utensil in your face."

Laurel's face lit up in a blush. "Yeah, sorry about that. It was one of those things that sounded like a really good idea in my head, until I actually did it. Seriously though, can't you just flick your wand and clean the cauldrons, just like you did with the sponge?"

"I could," He admitted, "However a cauldron will last longer and produce better potions if it is not tainted by the residue a spell leaves." Severus explained, returning to the task at hand.

"Really?" Laurel said, looking at Severus curiously, "So every spell leaves a residue?"

"To some extent, and some leave more than others." Severus explained, "We use the residue to identify the spells that have been used in a certain place, though many disappear entirely after a certain amount of time. When it comes to cauldrons, however, the residue can build up quickly and take time to disappear entirely. It is more efficient to clean them by hand instead."

"I guess that makes sense," Laurel nodded, her mind reeling with this new information, as she returned to her work. An uncomfortable silence fell over the couple once again, and Laurel shifted uncomfortably next to the man she had spend so much of the last few months with.

"Severus?" She said softly, not daring to look at him as he softly grunted acknowledgement without bothering to stop his work. "I wanted to apologize."

"Laurel," Severus sighed, ceasing all work on the cauldron, but still not turning his eyes in her direction.

"No, just hear me out for a second." She insisted, "I meant everything I said today. I want to get to know you better. I know you're not perfect, and I'm sure you've made mistakes, but I'm certain you haven't done anything I can't forgive."

"Your forgiveness must know no bounds." Severus commented dryly.

"I'm being serious. I want to know you more, and I'm sorry I tried to push you into something this morning. I'm more than okay with taking everything painfully slow, all I need is for you to let me know that I'm not crazy here, that I'm not the only one who feels something between us."

"Perhaps," Severus said carefully, "It would be wrong for me to say that a relationship with you, one beyond friendship that is, is something I would never wish for."

The only warning Severus received was an elated squeal before smelly, sticky hands wrapped around his neck as Laurel attached her lips to his.

It was a short kiss, lasting little more than a moment, but Severus couldn't help but think it was their best one yet. Laurel pulled back slowly as their lips reluctantly broke, looking shyly into his eyes.

"Sorry." She said bashfully as she removed her hands from around him.

"That's alright." Severus stated, removing his hands from around her waist, unsure when exactly they had found their way there. "However things such as... that, are never to happen when we are among the company of others."

"Of course," Laurel agreed, nodding vigorously, somehow unable to wipe the smile off of her face. "And it won't even happen very often when we aren't, I pinky promise." She swore.

"Right."

If anything, Laurel's smile somehow widened even further. "Severus, I..." But Severus never found out what Laurel was going to say, as her face lit in curious excitement and her eyes fixed on one very small spot on his arm.

Severus had gone through many emotions in this one day, from boredom, fear, anger, hurt, and most recently, a happy content feeling he was quite unused to. With Laurel's next words, however, all of those emotions become moot, as his heart nearly stopped and uncomfortable dread settled in the bottom of his stomach.

"Hey, is that a tattoo?"

**End Chapter Thirty**

**A/N: **I ended up changing this chapter _a lot _as I wrote it, and I'm relatively happy with where it ended up. Hopefully you guys like it too. ;)

Dreadfully sorry for any mistakes in the chapter, it's been so long since I've been in contact with my beta, evenstar101, that I wasn't sure if she'd be annoyed hearing from me or not. If you're reading this sweetie, feel free to send me a message if you are okay continuing to beta for my inconsistent self. If not, anyone who might want to beta some chapters in the future for me, even just as small as reading the chapter for any small mistakes, would be greatly appreciated. As for this chapter, I read through it myself, and I think I found most of the mistakes.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to review, and just so you know, because of how slow I am working on the chapters now, I'll be posting progress on my profile, just so you know I am actually working, and not pretending I have nothing to do. :)

Until next time!

*Whoopsydaisy


	31. The Dark Mark

Disclamer: I am poor. Thus, I probably don't own Harry Potter. Duh...

**Uncharmable**

_Chapter 31: The Dark Mark_

"What?" Severus hissed in horror as he shot up off the ground. Quickly, he turned away from Laurel and rolled down his sleeves, completely ignoring the dirty water he got all over himself in the process.

"It was, wasn't it?" Laurel continued, a sly grin slowly appearing on her face.

Severus said nothing deliberately keeping his gaze away from Laurel, not wanting to see the expression on her face. His mind worked a mile a minute to try to find an explanation that would not condemn him. He swiftly went through the possible scenarios when she found out about his deception, and none of them seemed acceptable.

She could, of course, be angry. Upset that he had hidden something so important from her. She might scream, yell, and possibly hit him. He could easily imagine her face turning red as she struggled to find the breath to shout more obscenities at him.

Fear would be another appropriate response. After all, a Death Eater is a follower of Voldemort, the person who, if she fell into his hands, could do unimaginable damage with her, and most probably to her.

The thing he would regret the most, would be losing her trust. Dumbledore was the only other person in his life to fully trust him, and sometimes Severus thought even the old coot had his doubt at times, but had no other option than to trust Severus. With Laurel, it was different. She had choices. She could choose to ignore him, to avoid him, or even leave Hogwarts entirely, but she stayed. She continued to seek his company, and when she looked up at him with those wide eyes of hers, stating with full confidence that she trusted him, an alien feeling entered Severus's body, one he was not used to, and one he was growing to enjoy.

Seeing the pain and hurt in her eyes as the trust she had grown for him left her body forever was something he wasn't sure if he could deal with.

Laurel, ecstatic with this new discovery seemed oblivious to Severus's inner turmoil. She let out a short chuckle, crossing her arms and raising her brows. "What is this, proof that even the great Potions Master Severus had a childhood? Perhaps even a rebellious adolescence? For shame, I thought you were better than that."

Severus almost didn't hear her words, he was so involved in his wonderings of what might happen, but part of him did, and it took him almost a full minute to fully process them. Relief instantly flooded his body. He had forgotten for the moment, just how unfamiliar Laurel was with the wizarding world. Even if she had seen his mark, she was unlikely to know what it meant, and the implications it held.

Never one to wait around in silence for long, Laurel asked "Could I get another look at it? It's nothing to be ashamed of, really, and you jumped up so fast I didn't see it very well, something like a snake? For Slytherin?"

The fear of her finding out came back instantly; her looking at the tattoo closely was a very bad idea. If she stayed around for any amount of time she was more than likely to run into it again somewhere. "No," he stated carefully, turning around to face her again. Though on the inside he was nearly falling apart, his face portrayed nothing but a practiced indifference. "You're correct in thinking it was an adolescent mistake."

"Can I get that in writing?" Laurel joked, "Severus Snape admitting he made a mistake?"

He sneered at her, "It had to happen eventually, if only so I could recognize them when others make them."

Laurel rolled her eyes dramatically, "Of course. Well, I'm still waiting for an explanation for this mysterious tattoo."

"You'll only be disappointed, it's nothing too exciting." He insisted, trying to stall for more time to he could invent an interesting enough story that would not draw too much attention later on. Laurel merely quirked her eyebrows, the corners of her mouth twitching higher, and motioned for him to continue.

"I was eighteen at the time." He decided, the age being easy enough to remember, being it was the one he actually got the mark at, "Nearly finished with school I wanted something to… distinguish myself from everyone else I suppose, something to make me... special." More like he wanted a way to make himself needed by someone, anyone.

"It's almost frightening how much of a regular teenager you were. I seriously wouldn't have thought it."

Alright, perhaps he was going a bit too far with is story. Quickly he tried to make it more casual. "Long story short I got pissed and woke up with this abomination on my arm. It was some sort of charm, clearly, however to this day I haven't found out how to remove it."

Laurel broke into laughter, slapping her upper thighs loudly in amusement. Severus couldn't help but allow a small grin to appear on his face as well. As her laughter subsided, Laurel wiped away the moisture that had accumulated in her eyes as she squeezed out between labored breaths, "Do you even know who put it on you?"

Severus simply shook his head, sometimes the best answer is the lack of one. This brought on another bout of laughter from Laurel.

"I'm sorry." She somehow managed to say through her excessive guffawing, "It's just so... unlike you. So is it a snake then? For your school house I suppose?"

"I think it was supposed to be." He decided, letting her assume her first assumption about his tattoo was correct would make her less likely to dwell, and think on what she had actually seen. "It's so misshapen I can only assume the caster was as pissed as I was."

Laurel pursed her lips tightly, biting the inside of her cheek as she fought a smile. "I want to laugh," She explained, "However I almost feel bad for you. One mistake and you're branded forever with a mutant snake on your forearm."

She didn't know just how true that actually was.

"I don't have any tattoo's, but if it helps, I did get my belly button pierced the day I turned eighteen."

"Your navel?" Severus asked for confirmation, "What do you mean you got it pierced?"

Laurel tilted her head, "You mean people don't do that here?" Pushing her hair back, she exposed one ear, showing him the small silver stud in it. "This is an earring."

"I know what an earring is." He snapped, "Women commonly charm them to their ears as a way to display wealth, or a sense of personality."

Laurel grinned. "Didn't you ever wonder how exactly I got an earring then?" Laurel inquired, "I doubt a simple charm would work on me."

Severus frowned, having never thought of this fact. Not being one to spend much time with muggles he had not observed their behavior, let along the decorating of their ears. His curiosity getting the better of him, it was a matter of pride that he did not inquire as to how the charms on her ears came to be.

Luckily, Laurel provided a response anyway. "We call it an ear piercing because we have to do just that. A small piece of metal pierces the lobe of our ear and we enter the piece of jewelry to keep the skin from closing over." Absent mindedly she toyed with the stud in her ear.

A look of horror came over Severus' face as he took in her explanation. "Do you mean to tell me that you shove pieces of metal through your own flesh as a means to decorate yourself?"

Her eyes widened slightly, "Well yeah... but it's not as bad as your making it seem."

"On the contrary it's worse! Do you know how many diseases a single piece of metal can hold? And you voluntarily shoved it through yourself?"

"Well we make sure to sanitize it first." She protested.

"Yes, and what, with the fact that you muggles are unable to even cure the common cold I'm certain your sanitation methods are entirely affective. Why on earth would you pierce a piece of metal through your own navel?"

Laurel crossed her arms sullenly. "Says the man who let some drunk guy charm an irremovable tattoo onto his arm." She mumbled, unhappy with the current turn of events.

Severus huffed. "Not as amusing when you're the one whose childish mistake is the point of topic."

"Okay, first, I never condemned your choice. I thought it was amusing. You, however, decided mine was foolish and possibly even dangerous. Anyone would be a little miffed when someone they're close to doesn't approve of a choice they made."

There it was again, a mention of closeness. And just the thought of it brought silence to the room as both parties searched for something adequate to fill the suddenly stale air. Laurel awkwardly shuffled her feet determinedly avoiding Severus' eyes in her sullen state, sure she could feel Severus' gaze nearly burning a hold into her.

Indeed, Severus was staring at her unwilling to take his eyes away from her. The close brush with disaster only a few moments ago, if nothing else, had helped Severus to realize just how much the girl in front of him really meant to him, how much he wanted to keep her around. As with most things, anything you want takes effort to acquire.

So, Severus decided to do something he hadn't done for a very long time; he put some effort into comforting someone.

"I suppose," He began, pleased when her shocked eyes shot up to meet his own, "Our mistakes should be blamed on the audacity of adolescence, rather than some mar on our own character."

Laurel grinned slightly, recognizing an apology from the stoic man she had gotten to know. "Perhaps." She agreed cheekily.

Looking over toward the forgotten cauldrons still on the floor, Severus suggested, "We ought to return to our original task then, if this discussion has reached its conclusion."

Laurel reached one hand up dramatically as she widened her mouth, letting out a large yawn. "Actually, I'm feeling rather tired suddenly. Must be that potion you gave me."

Severus looked at her suspiciously. "Bollocks."

Laurel gasped at him dramatically. "Severus, I'm shocked to think that someone of my moral character would..." She cut off abruptly as she was overtaken by a yawn. "Okay, _that _one was actually real." She managed to squeeze out through another half yawn.

"Indeed." He stated raising one eyebrow as Laurel took a seat at one of the desks, resting her head on her arms lightly. "Going to take a little nap, are we?"

"Just a little one." She spoke, her voice breathy, and laced with exhaustion, "I'm just so tired." Her eyes closed and Severus simply stood there, watching.

"I suppose I'll have to clean up the cauldrons by myself then." He spoke aloud, even though he was fully aware she would not hear any words that came from his mouth. The mere act of talking made him feel as though he were not alone.

He sighed, walking over to the prone girl, imagining for a second carrying her delicately in his arms, one supporting her back, and the other just underneath her knees. He saw himself moving her lightly across the dungeons to his personal room, resting her lightly on top of his silky green covers where she would rest as he continued the work they had started together.

The reality was not quite as romantic. Her days at Hogwarts had included far better meals than she was used to, and Laurel had put on a good amount of weight since her arrival. She was nowhere near obese, but lifting a 130 pound woman would give most people trouble.

Severus was no body builder to say the least.

He kneeled down and gripped her around the waist, grunting as he somehow gathered the strength to stand to his knees. Instead of ending up holding her bridal style, as he had imagined, Laurel was hung over his shoulders gracelessly like a sack of potatoes, both of his arms wrapped around her legs at the knees to keep her from falling over.

It was a good thing Laurel's sleep was potion induced, for if it weren't, she certainly would have woken, quite shocked to find herself literally bouncing on Severus' bed after he tossed her on it.

Severus found himself sitting in a chair, just looking at the unconscious girl on his bed. Trying to ignore the little person in the back of his mind telling him how much of a creeper he would look if she woke up to find him staring at her, he focused instead on the thought that struck him suddenly.

Long fingers unfurled slowly, reaching out to caress some of the hair resting on the plush comforter next to her head. Her hair had never been affected by any of the spells cast upon her, so clearly it too carried the unique ability that seemed innate to her. The question was though; would it still be this way even after it was removed?

Hesitantly, Severus pulled out his wand, and brought it to Laurel's hair. He knew what he was about to do would very probably anger Laurel to no end, and quite possibly earn him a smack in the face, but in the end, curiosity won over, and he severed a small lock of hair near the back of her head, binding it quickly with a small piece of string to make sure no strands escaped.

Stepping away from the bed, Severus placed the hair on his desk. It had always been a good desk, had served him well the past years at Hogwarts, and he completely regretted what he was about to do. However once anything was scorched, it really never was the same again, even after a magical cleaning. It was far easier to replace a wooden desk than it would be to replace the stone wall and floors that covered his dungeon.

With a flick of his wand Severus send a ball of fire hurling toward the dark lock of hair sitting innocently on his desk.

Truly, it was a shame. The desk had been beautiful.

Smoke quickly filled the room, destroying any view Severus had of the desk. Anxious to see the results of his hastily thrown together experiment, Severus waved his wand around vigorously, clearing the smoke from the desk, preparing himself to quickly douse any remaining flames.

To his surprise, however, this preparation was not necessary.

Severus blinked a few times, as if to clear the smoke from his eyes, unable to do anything more than stand and stare in pure shock at the desk in front of him.

Severus had tossed the most powerful fire spell he knew at that tiny dark lock of hair, and despite his best efforts, the hair remained untouched, still bound by the small piece of string he had tied himself.

It was not the appearance of the string, however, that had Severus' mind at a standstill, unable to really process exactly what he was seeing. Rather, it was the appearance of the desk he had been so sorry to lose.

The desk in front of him was scorched slightly, a few shades darker circling the seemingly innocent lock of hair. The flame Severus had shot at the desk should have, for all intensive purposes, should have burnt a hole through a good amount of the desk, not lightly scorched it.

It appeared as though the hair, once separated from Laurel's body, not only retained its resistance to magic, but extended it to the desk, and string wrapped around it, items it had been merely touching.

Endless questions whirled through Severus' mind.

If he had let the fire burn longer would the effect the hair had lessen? Perhaps after a certain amount of time after being removed from Laurel's person the hair would lose the ability entirely, or the potency could be related to the amount of magic it had previously repelled. Would the effect of the protection be lessened if he had not used as much hair, and exactly how much of the desk had it protected? His flame only reached a certain distance after all.

What about if the hair hadn't been touching the desk directly, but instead was on a piece of parchment? Would the desk still be spared along with the hair and paper? How about Laurel herself? Did she also have the ability to pass on her resistance to magic to anyone, or anything, she was touching? Her clothes had clearly never been affected by any spell as far as he had seen, but would that extent to something she was holding, or perhaps even a person she had direct contact with?

Forcing his mind to function properly, Severus reached out a hand to pick up the small lock of hair, almost annoyed by the amount of will it took to keep that hand from trembling.

Tucking the hair into his pocket, he stole a glance at the innocent girl lying on his bed, unaware of what had just taken place, let alone the significance of what it could mean.

Severus promised himself then and there that no one, not even Dumbledore, would hear of this.

**End Chapter 31**

A/N:

I know it took me forever again, and I have no promises when the next one will come out. I had an outline, but I keep changing it, and that doesn't help it come out any faster. I'm starting to see where I want things to go though.

I stick to the fact that I WILL finish this, if only so I can say that I did. I don't like to lie to people, so you can believe in that if nothing else.

~Whoopsydaisy


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